ZIP 47909 (Lafayette, IN) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 47909: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Tippecanoe 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
2.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Tippecanoe County compares with Indiana
Tippecanoe County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Tippecanoe County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Tippecanoe County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 70.9 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.8% | 10.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.7% | 22.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.8% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.9% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.7% | 32.0% | 24.8% | same |
Tippecanoe County sits below Indiana on crashes per 100k residents / yr. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
Tippecanoe County at a glance: January more garbage-truck crashes happen in January than in any other month (17%).
Overview
Since 2015, 1,590 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Tippecanoe County. They injured 540 people and killed 47.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (9.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.9% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Indiana.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (6.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 10.8% of truck crashes, compared with 10.6% in Indiana.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 47909 happened on I-65 (2), US-231 (2), US-52S (2), 9th St (1) and CR-WYANDOTTE Rd (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 41 of the truck crashes here, or 2.6%, compared with 2.4% in Indiana.
Their busiest month is January, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 2.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 47909 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Tippecanoe County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Tippecanoe County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 2 |
| US-231 | 2 |
| US-52S | 2 |
| 9th St | 1 |
| CR-WYANDOTTE Rd | 1 |
| I-65S | 1 |
| Mccarty Lane | 1 |
| Mu-Robinson St | 1 |
| Mu-Schuyler Ave | 1 |
| Mu-Veterans Memorial | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Tippecanoe County) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 559 |
| I-65N | 69 |
| I-65S | 67 |
| US-231 | 46 |
| US-52S | 45 |
| Sagamore Pky | 35 |
| US-52 | 34 |
| US-231S | 33 |
ZIP 47909 at a glance
| Population | 43,561 |
| Density | 142 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $68,035 |
| Median home value | $221,354 |
| Home ownership | 66% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Tippecanoe 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 | 45 | — | 2.5 |
| 2000s | 91 | +103% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 115 | +26% | 2.3 |
| 2020s | 137 | +19% | 2.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 45 to 137. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 47909
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 47909?
Since 2015, 1,590 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Tippecanoe County (540 injured, 47 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 47909?
January has the most truck crashes in Tippecanoe County, 9.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 47909?
Garbage trucks were involved in 41 reported crashes in Tippecanoe County since 2015 (2.6% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in ZIP 47909 compare with Indiana?
The yearly rate is 70.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Tippecanoe County, vs 80.8 for Indiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 47909?
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.