Middleton, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Middleton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Middleton and Dane County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dane County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Dane County compares with Wisconsin
Dane County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dane County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dane County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 33.3 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 22% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 41% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 32% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.5% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 29% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.4% | 26.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.6% | 16.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 22.1% | 20.9% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Wisconsin, Dane County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Middleton at a glance: US-12 2 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Middleton.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,268 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dane County. They injured 1,025 people and killed 45.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Middleton had 50 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Dane County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 9.5% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (7.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.9% of truck crashes, vs 44.9% for Wisconsin.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (7.8%).
Road surface: 9.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Wisconsin: 13.4%).
Where crashes happen
US-12 leads within 10 miles of Middleton with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by Lodispringfield Rd (1), Mineral Point Rd (1) and US-14 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 41 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 2.7% across Wisconsin.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (15% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Middleton fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Dane County.
- Where you can, review stops along US-12; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Dane County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 2 |
| Lodispringfield Rd | 1 |
| Mineral Point Rd | 1 |
| US-14 | 1 |
| US-18 | 1 |
| US-51 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dane County) |
|---|---|
| I-039 | 695 |
| Ush 012 | 234 |
| Ush 018 | 92 |
| Ush 151 | 80 |
| Ush 051 | 80 |
| I-094 | 77 |
| Sth 019 | 59 |
| SR-039 | 44 |
Middleton at a glance
| Population | 22,566 |
| Land area | 9.4 sq mi |
| Density | 2,401 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 53562) | $101,381 |
| Median home value (ZIP 53562) | $533,136 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dane 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 | 178 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 222 | +24% | 4.6 |
| 2010s | 188 | -15% | 3.8 |
| 2020s | 187 | -1% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 178 a year in the 1990s and 187 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 3.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Middleton
How common are truck crashes in Middleton?
2,268 truck crashes have been reported in Dane County since 2015, with 45 deaths and 1,025 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Middleton?
Since 2015, US-12 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Middleton: 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Middleton?
Truck crashes in Dane County peak in January, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Middleton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 41 reported crashes in Dane County since 2015 (1.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Middleton compare with Wisconsin?
The yearly rate is 33.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dane County, vs 42.6 for Wisconsin.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Middleton?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.