Smelser, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Smelser: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Smelser and Grant County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Grant County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 304 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Grant County compares with Wisconsin
Grant County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Grant County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Grant County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 50.4 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 12% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.4% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 7% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.9% | 26.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.2% | 16.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.9% | 44.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.5% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Wisconsin, Grant County is lower on garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Wisconsin on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Grant County at a glance: 5.9 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.4 in Wisconsin.
Overview
Grant County has recorded 304 truck crashes since 2015, with 195 people injured and 17 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 14 days.
Only 13 truck crashes were reported in Smelser since 2015; patterns below come from Grant County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.8% of the year) and are lowest in August (5.6%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.9% of truck crashes, against 44.9% across Wisconsin.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 10.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.4% of truck crashes, compared with 13.4% in Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Smelser since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-80 (1), SR-81 (1) and US-51 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
8 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.6% share (Wisconsin: 2.7%).
Route planning tips for Smelser fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Grant County.
- 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 Grant County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-80 | 1 |
| SR-81 | 1 |
| US-51 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Grant County) |
|---|---|
| Ush 061 | 73 |
| Ush 151 | 42 |
| Ush 018 | 32 |
| Sth 080 | 17 |
| Sth 133 | 8 |
| Sth 011 | 6 |
| Sth 081 | 6 |
| Sth 129 | 6 |
Smelser at a glance
| Population | 796 |
| Land area | 35.1 sq mi |
| Density | 23 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 53807) | $77,887 |
| Median home value (ZIP 53807) | $227,000 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Grant 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 | 22 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 25 | +13% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 23 | -9% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 28 | +24% | 1.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 22 to 28. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Smelser
How many truck crashes happen in Smelser?
Since 2015, 304 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Grant County (195 injured, 17 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Smelser?
The worst month is January: 11.8% of truck crashes in Grant County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Smelser?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Grant County since 2015, 2.6% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Smelser compare with Wisconsin?
The yearly rate is 50.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Grant County, vs 42.6 for Wisconsin.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Smelser?
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.