Liberty Lake, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Liberty Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Liberty Lake and Spokane County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Spokane County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Spokane County compares with Washington
Spokane County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Spokane County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Spokane County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 18.1 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 30% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.7% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.8% | 24.8% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.0% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.9% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.0% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Spokane County sits below Washington on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Spokane County at a glance: 17.7% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.7% across Washington.
Overview
Police reported 1,167 crashes involving commercial trucks in Spokane County since 2015: 200 people were injured and 41 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 50 truck crashes were reported in Liberty Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Spokane County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 11.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.3%.
November through March accounts for 45.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.8% in Washington.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.6% of truck crashes.
17.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.7% across Washington.
Where crashes happen
SR-290 leads within 10 miles of Liberty Lake with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-90 (3), CR-ARGONNE (1) and Pleasant View Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 34 crashes, 2.9% of the total, against 2.2% across Washington.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (18% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 3.2 deaths compared with 3.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Liberty Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-290; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Spokane County.
- 29.8% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Washington; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 17.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Washington; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Spokane County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-290 | 6 |
| I-90 | 3 |
| CR-ARGONNE | 1 |
| Pleasant View Rd | 1 |
| Prairie Ave | 1 |
| SR-27 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Spokane County) |
|---|---|
| S Stevens St Blk 100 | 6 |
| Altamont/Main | 4 |
| Trent | 4 |
| E Broadway Ave/N Thierman Rd | 3 |
| I 90 Mp 270.00 | 3 |
| S Stevens Blk 100 | 3 |
| Sr-2*276.22 | 3 |
| Sr-290*005.81 | 3 |
Liberty Lake at a glance
| Population | 13,353 |
| Land area | 6.3 sq mi |
| Density | 2,105 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 99019) | $120,053 |
| Median home value (ZIP 99019) | $605,900 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Spokane 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 | 48 | — | 3.1 |
| 2000s | 66 | +39% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 83 | +24% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 110 | +33% | 5.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 48 a year in the 1990s and 110 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 3.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Liberty Lake
How common are truck crashes in Liberty Lake?
1,167 truck crashes have been reported in Spokane County since 2015, with 41 deaths and 200 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Liberty Lake?
NHTSA data shows SR-290 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Liberty Lake since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Liberty Lake?
The worst month is December: 11.3% of truck crashes in Spokane County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Liberty Lake?
Since 2015, Spokane County has reported 34 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Liberty Lake compared with Washington?
The yearly rate is 18.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Spokane County, vs 25.8 for Washington.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Liberty Lake?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.