Wales, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wales: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wales and Waukesha County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Waukesha County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Waukesha County compares with Wisconsin
Waukesha County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Waukesha County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.5 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 26% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 56% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.1% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 47% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.0% | 26.9% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.8% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 29% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 15.2% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
Waukesha County sits below Wisconsin on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Waukesha County: 1.5 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Wisconsin: 3.4).
Overview
Waukesha County has recorded 1,556 truck crashes since 2015, with 635 people injured and 25 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
With 5 truck crashes reported in Wales since 2015, this page uses Waukesha County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 10.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.2%.
November through March accounts for 40.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.9% in Wisconsin.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 7.1% of truck crashes, compared with 13.4% in Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Wales happened on CR-C (2), US-18 (2), CR-M / Watertown Rd (1), I-94 (1) and SR-190 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 58 of the truck crashes here, or 3.7%, compared with 2.7% in Wisconsin.
Their busiest month is May, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.9, vs 1.5 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Wales fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 30.0% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Wisconsin.
- 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 Waukesha County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-C | 2 |
| US-18 | 2 |
| CR-M / Watertown Rd | 1 |
| I-94 | 1 |
| SR-190 | 1 |
| SR-83 | 1 |
| Silvernail Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Waukesha County) |
|---|---|
| I-094 | 273 |
| I-041 | 73 |
| Cth F | 67 |
| I-043 | 56 |
| Cth O | 47 |
| Sth 164 | 40 |
| Sth 059 | 36 |
| Ush 018 | 34 |
Wales at a glance
| Population | 2,913 |
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
| Density | 903 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 53183) | $108,827 |
| Median home value (ZIP 53183) | $401,156 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Waukesha 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 | 149 | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 170 | +14% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 132 | -22% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 122 | -8% | 2.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 149 a year in the 1990s and 122 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wales
How many truck accidents are there in Wales?
1,556 truck crashes have been reported in Waukesha County since 2015, with 25 deaths and 635 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Wales?
September has the most truck crashes in Waukesha County, 10.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Wales?
58 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Waukesha County since 2015, 3.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Wales compared with Wisconsin?
The yearly rate is 31.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Waukesha County, vs 42.6 for Wisconsin.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Wales?
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.