Palouse, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Palouse: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Palouse and Whitman County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Whitman County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 209 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Whitman County compares with Washington
Whitman County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Whitman County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Whitman County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.2 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.2% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.8% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.1% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 40% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.2% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 36% below the state |
Whitman County has lower values than Washington for garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Whitman County at a glance: 17.2% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.7% across Washington.
Overview
Since 2015, 209 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Whitman County. They injured 38 people and killed 11.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 20 days.
With 9 truck crashes reported in Palouse since 2015, this page uses Whitman County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 14.8% of the yearly total, while June has the fewest (4.8%).
November through March accounts for 44.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.8% in Washington.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 10.5% of truck crashes.
17.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.7% across Washington.
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Palouse since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 4 of the truck crashes here, or 1.9%, compared with 2.2% in Washington.
Route planning tips for Palouse fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 17.2% of truck crashes here, more than Washington; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Whitman County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Whitman County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-128*001.00 | 3 |
| Sr-195*000.50 | 3 |
| Farmington Rd/Sr-27 | 2 |
| Sr-128*000.50 | 2 |
| Sr-194*003.00 | 2 |
| Sr-195*002.00 | 2 |
| Sr-195*018.00 | 2 |
| Sr-195*036.50 | 2 |
Palouse at a glance
| Population | 1,029 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 983 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 99161) | $87,464 |
| Median home value (ZIP 99161) | $318,700 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Whitman 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 | 7 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 14 | +93% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 17 | +21% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 16 | -4% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 7 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 16. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Palouse
How common are truck crashes in Palouse?
Whitman County has had 209 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 38 people and killing 11.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Palouse?
Truck crashes in Whitman County peak in August, with 14.8% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Palouse?
Garbage trucks were involved in 4 reported crashes in Whitman County since 2015 (1.9% of truck crashes).
How does Palouse compare with Washington for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 37.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Whitman County, vs 25.8 for Washington.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Palouse?
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.