Lorain, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lorain: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lorain and Polk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Polk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 155 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Polk County compares with Wisconsin
Polk County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Polk County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 30.3 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 29% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 7.2% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 2.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 24.2% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 32.7% | 26.9% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.9% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.4% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 13.7% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 34% below the state |
Polk County has lower values than Wisconsin for crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Polk County: 1 in 14 garbage-truck share of crashes is 7.2%, against 2.7% for Wisconsin.
Overview
Polk County has recorded 155 truck crashes since 2015, with 71 people injured and 6 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 26 days in fully reported years.
Only 3 truck crashes were reported in Lorain since 2015; patterns below come from Polk County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (12.3% of the year) and are lowest in May (4.5%).
November through March accounts for 48.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.9% in Wisconsin.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 11.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 24.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Wisconsin: 13.4%).
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Lorain since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 11 of the truck crashes here, or 7.1%, compared with 2.7% in Wisconsin.
Route planning tips for Lorain fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Polk County.
- Morning starts matter: 32.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Wisconsin.
- 24.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Wisconsin; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| Ush 008 | 21 |
| Ush 063 | 17 |
| Sth 035 | 11 |
| Sth 046 | 10 |
| Cth M | 6 |
| Sth 048 | 6 |
| Cth Jj | 4 |
| SR-008 | 4 |
Lorain at a glance
| Population | 319 |
| Land area | 36.7 sq mi |
| Density | 9 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54837) | $71,010 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54837) | $221,951 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 12 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | +39% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 13 | -18% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 15 | +12% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12 to 15. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lorain
How many truck accidents are there in Lorain?
Polk County has had 155 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 71 people and killing 6.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Lorain?
The worst month is March: 12.3% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lorain?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Polk County since 2015 (7.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Lorain compare with Wisconsin?
Polk County records 30.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.6 across Wisconsin.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Lorain?
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.