ZIP 46406 (Gary, IN) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 46406: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Lake County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lake County compares with Indiana
Lake County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lake County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lake County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 117.4 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 45% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 40% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.4% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.1% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.9% | 17.4% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 35.8% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Compared with Indiana, Lake County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
The headline for ZIP 46406: 1.7× fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 46406 per year, 2020–24 vs 2016–19 (9.8 vs 5.8).
Overview
Since 2015, 6,927 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lake County. They injured 2,451 people and killed 108.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 2 truck crashes a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (9.8% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.5%).
November through March accounts for 42.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
The busiest hour is 12–1 am, with 9.0% of truck crashes.
12.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of ZIP 46406 is I-80, with 25 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-94 (8), I-90 (4) and US-12 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 94 of the truck crashes here, or 1.4%, compared with 2.4% in Indiana.
Their busiest month is August, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.1 deaths compared with 1.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 46406 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-80, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Lake County.
- With 12.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Indiana), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 25 |
| I-94 | 8 |
| I-90 | 4 |
| US-12 | 4 |
| Grant St | 3 |
| Brainard Ave | 2 |
| I- 80 | 2 |
| US-12W | 2 |
| US-20 | 2 |
| US-30 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lake County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 2,571 |
| I-65 | 1,116 |
| I-90 | 224 |
| US-41 | 101 |
| I-94 | 89 |
| US-30 | 85 |
| I-80E | 68 |
| US-41S | 57 |
ZIP 46406 at a glance
| Population | 9,001 |
| Density | 258 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $35,839 |
| Median home value | $80,612 |
| Home ownership | 48% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lake 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 | 352 | — | 10.2 |
| 2000s | 554 | +58% | 8.7 |
| 2010s | 482 | -13% | 6.4 |
| 2020s | 647 | +34% | 8.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 352 a year in the 1990s and 647 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 6.2 a year in 2016–19 and 8.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 46406
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 46406?
Lake County has had 6,927 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,451 people and killing 108.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in ZIP 46406?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 46406: 25.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 46406?
The worst month is January: 9.8% of truck crashes in Lake County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 46406?
94 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lake County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 46406 compare with Indiana?
Lake County records 117.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 46406?
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.