West Salem, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in West Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in West Salem and La Crosse County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use La Crosse County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 375 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How La Crosse County compares with Wisconsin
La Crosse County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where La Crosse County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | La Crosse County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 25.5 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 40% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.4% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.3% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 8% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.0% | 26.9% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.8% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.4% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 12% below the state |
| After dark | 15.6% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 25% below the state |
La Crosse County has lower values than Wisconsin for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Wisconsin on garbage-truck share.
The headline for La Crosse County: 1 in 23 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.4%, vs 2.7% in Wisconsin.
Overview
La Crosse County has recorded 375 truck crashes since 2015, with 149 people injured and 9 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 12 days.
West Salem had 10 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use La Crosse County numbers.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 11.2% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (6.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.4% of truck crashes, against 44.9% across Wisconsin.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (10.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.3% of truck crashes, compared with 13.4% in Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of West Salem since 2015 were spread across roads: Airport Rd (1), CR-S (1), CR-SN (1), I-90 (1) and SR-162 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
15 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.0% share (Wisconsin: 2.7%).
Route planning tips for West Salem fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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 La Crosse County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Airport Rd | 1 |
| CR-S | 1 |
| CR-SN | 1 |
| I-90 | 1 |
| SR-162 | 1 |
| Saint James St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (La Crosse County) |
|---|---|
| I-090 | 81 |
| Ush 053 | 34 |
| Sth 016 | 31 |
| Ush 014 | 19 |
| Sth 035 | 18 |
| SR-090 | 15 |
| Parking Lot | 12 |
| Cth B | 9 |
West Salem at a glance
| Population | 5,306 |
| Land area | 3.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,584 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54669) | $103,194 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54669) | $319,312 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in La Crosse 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 | 28 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 35 | +24% | 1.3 |
| 2010s | 30 | -15% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 31 | +5% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 28 to 31. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about West Salem
How many truck accidents are there in West Salem?
Since 2015, 375 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in La Crosse County (149 injured, 9 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in West Salem?
The worst month is June: 11.2% of truck crashes in La Crosse County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in West Salem?
15 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in La Crosse County since 2015, 4.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in West Salem compare with Wisconsin?
Per 100,000 residents, La Crosse County has 25.5 truck crashes a year; Wisconsin has 42.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in West Salem?
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.