Altoona, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Altoona: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Altoona and Eau Claire County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Eau Claire County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
17 of 677 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Eau Claire County compares with Wisconsin
Eau Claire County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Eau Claire County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Eau Claire County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.3 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 74% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.59 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.2% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 1.9× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.9% | 26.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.3% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 54.2% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 22.6% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Eau Claire County has lower values than Wisconsin for deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Eau Claire County: December worst month: 17.6% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 677 crashes involving commercial trucks in Eau Claire County since 2015: 388 people were injured and 7 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 6 days in fully reported years.
Altoona had 23 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Eau Claire County numbers.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 17.6% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (5.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 54.2% of truck crashes, vs 44.9% for Wisconsin.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (10.6%).
25.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 13.4% across Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-53 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (2). Next come CR-II (1), Hogarth St (1) and I-94 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 17 of the truck crashes here, or 2.5%, compared with 2.7% in Wisconsin.
Route planning tips for Altoona fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-53 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 25.2% of truck crashes here, more than Wisconsin; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Eau Claire County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-53 | 2 |
| CR-II | 1 |
| Hogarth St | 1 |
| I-94 | 1 |
| SR-178 | 1 |
| US-12 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Eau Claire County) |
|---|---|
| I-094 | 356 |
| Ush 012 | 57 |
| Ush 053 | 28 |
| Sth 093 | 23 |
| Sth 312 | 12 |
| Sth 037 | 10 |
| Cth H | 9 |
| SR-094 | 8 |
Altoona at a glance
| Population | 9,302 |
| Land area | 5.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,804 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54720) | $85,977 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54720) | $240,124 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Eau Claire 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 | 42 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 46 | +10% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 53 | +14% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 58 | +11% | 0.2 |
In the 1990s about 42 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 58. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Altoona
How many truck crashes happen in Altoona?
677 truck crashes have been reported in Eau Claire County since 2015, with 7 deaths and 388 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Altoona?
Since 2015, US-53 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Altoona: 2.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Altoona?
The worst month is December: 17.6% of truck crashes in Eau Claire County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Altoona?
Since 2015, Eau Claire County has reported 17 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Altoona compared with Wisconsin?
Per 100,000 residents, Eau Claire County has 53.3 truck crashes a year; Wisconsin has 42.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Altoona?
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.