North Yelm, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Yelm: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Yelm and Pierce County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pierce County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Pierce County compares with Washington
Pierce County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pierce County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pierce County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 25.4 | 25.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 29% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.0% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 79% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.5% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.5% | 20.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.0% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Pierce County sits below Washington on garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for North Yelm: I-5 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of North Yelm: 3 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,807 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Pierce County. They injured 514 people and killed 87.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in North Yelm since 2015; patterns below come from Pierce County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 9.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.8%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.0% of truck crashes, against 43.8% across Washington.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (6.9%).
Road surface: 2.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Washington: 9.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-5 leads within 10 miles of North Yelm with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-702 (2), CR-RAINER Rd Se (1) and Mu-Willamette Dr Ne (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 44 crashes, 1.6% of the total, against 2.2% across Washington.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in June (14% of them).
They recorded 4.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for North Yelm fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-5 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: June is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Pierce County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Pierce County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 3 |
| SR-702 | 2 |
| CR-RAINER Rd Se | 1 |
| Mu-Willamette Dr Ne | 1 |
| SR-507 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pierce County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-512*001.00 | 30 |
| Sr-167*006.00 | 19 |
| Sr-167*010.00 | 17 |
| Sr-167*007.00 | 16 |
| Sr-509*002.00 | 15 |
| Sr-167*008.00 | 14 |
| Sr-167*009.00 | 13 |
| Sr-16*001.00 | 13 |
North Yelm at a glance
| Land area | 3.3 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pierce County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 100 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 147 | +47% | 5.4 |
| 2010s | 200 | +36% | 4.5 |
| 2020s | 246 | +23% | 8.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 100 to 246. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 7.0 a year in 2016–19, 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Yelm
How common are truck crashes in North Yelm?
Since 2015, 2,807 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pierce County (514 injured, 87 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in North Yelm?
I-5 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of North Yelm since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in North Yelm?
January has the most truck crashes in Pierce County, 9.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in North Yelm?
Since 2015, Pierce County has reported 44 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.6% of its truck crashes.
How does North Yelm compare with Washington for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Pierce County has 25.4 truck crashes a year; Washington has 25.8.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in North Yelm?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.