Phelps, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Phelps: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Phelps and Vilas County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Vilas County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 74 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Vilas County compares with Wisconsin
Vilas County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Vilas County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Vilas County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 26.2 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 38% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 59% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.8% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 2.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 31.9% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 2.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.4% | 26.9% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.0% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 21% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.3% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 10.1% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 51% below the state |
Vilas County sits below Wisconsin on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
Vilas County at a glance: 31.9% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Wisconsin: 13.4%).
Overview
Vilas County has recorded 74 truck crashes since 2015, with 27 people injured and 2 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 58 days.
Phelps had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Vilas County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 16.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 2.7%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.3% of truck crashes, against 44.9% across Wisconsin.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 12.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 31.9% of truck crashes, compared with 13.4% in Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Phelps since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 4 crashes, 5.4% of the total, against 2.7% across Wisconsin.
Route planning tips for Phelps fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 30.4% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Wisconsin; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 31.9% of truck crashes here, more than Wisconsin; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Vilas 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 (Vilas County) |
|---|---|
| Ush 045 | 10 |
| Ush 051 | 10 |
| Sth 070 | 9 |
| Sth 017 | 5 |
| Cth | 3 |
| Cth M | 3 |
| Sth 047 | 3 |
| Cth K | 2 |
Phelps at a glance
| Population | 1,289 |
| Land area | 93.9 sq mi |
| Density | 14 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54554) | $63,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54554) | $271,784 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Vilas 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 | 8 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 9 | +17% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 7 | -25% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 6 | -8% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 6 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Phelps
How many truck accidents are there in Phelps?
Vilas County has had 74 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 27 people and killing 2.
When do most truck crashes happen in Phelps?
Truck crashes in Vilas County peak in February, with 16.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Phelps?
4 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Vilas County since 2015, 5.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Phelps compare with Wisconsin?
Per 100,000 residents, Vilas County has 26.2 truck crashes a year; Wisconsin has 42.6.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Phelps?
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.