Nelson, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Nelson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Nelson and Buffalo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Buffalo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 67 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Buffalo County compares with Wisconsin
Buffalo County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Buffalo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Buffalo County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 43.2 | 42.6 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.9% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 18% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.8% | 26.9% | 23.7% | 30% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.1% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 44.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 14.1% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 33% below the state |
Buffalo County sits below Wisconsin on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Wisconsin on deaths per 100 crashes.
What stands out in Buffalo County: September the month with the most truck crashes: 19.4% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 67 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Buffalo County. They injured 29 people and killed 4.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 63 days.
Only 17 truck crashes were reported in Nelson since 2015; patterns below come from Buffalo County as a whole.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 19.4% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (4.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.2% of truck crashes, against 44.9% across Wisconsin.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 16.4% of truck crashes.
10.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 13.4% across Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Nelson happened on SR-35 (2), US-61 (2) and SR-37 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Buffalo County.
Route planning tips for Nelson fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Buffalo County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Buffalo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-35 | 2 |
| US-61 | 2 |
| SR-37 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Buffalo County) |
|---|---|
| Sth 035 | 12 |
| Sth 025 | 10 |
| Sth 037 | 5 |
| Cth D | 3 |
| SR-035 | 3 |
| Ush 010 | 3 |
| Cth U | 2 |
| Parking Lot | 2 |
Nelson at a glance
| Population | 319 |
| Land area | 1.4 sq mi |
| Density | 236 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54756) | $75,625 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54756) | $208,925 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Buffalo 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 | 6 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 6 | -2% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 7 | +13% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 5 | -26% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 5 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Nelson
How many truck crashes happen in Nelson?
Since 2015, 67 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Buffalo County (29 injured, 4 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Nelson?
Truck crashes in Buffalo County peak in September, with 19.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Nelson?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Buffalo County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Nelson compare with Wisconsin?
The yearly rate is 43.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Buffalo County, vs 42.6 for Wisconsin.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Nelson?
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.