ZIP 59915 (Elmo, MT) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 59915: 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
2 of 138 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Lake County compares with Montana
Lake County against Montana 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 | Montana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.3 | 64.3 | 49.7 | 47% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.1 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.34 | 0.49 | 1.5× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.8% | 39.4% | 6.2% | 50% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 20.6% | 13.8% | 19% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.0% | 54.3% | 41.9% | 15% below the state |
| After dark | 24.6% | 30.8% | 24.8% | 20% below the state |
Lake County has lower values than Montana for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Montana on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Lake County: 1 in 63 crashes involve a garbage truck (2 since 2015), vs 0.9% across Montana.
Overview
Since 2015, 138 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lake County. They injured 68 people and killed 10.
That averages about one truck crash every 32 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (14.5% of the year) and are lowest in March (4.3%).
November through March accounts for 46.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 54.3% in Montana.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (11.6%).
19.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 39.4% across Montana.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 59915 since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 1.4% of the total, against 0.9% across Montana.
Route planning tips for ZIP 59915 fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake County.
- Morning starts matter: 24.6% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Montana.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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
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 (Lake County) |
|---|---|
| US-93 | 3 |
| Mm 23.8 Us Highway 93 | 1 |
| Mm 48.2 Highway 93 | 1 |
| Mm 50.5 Us Hwy 93 | 1 |
| Mm48. 4 Hwy93 | 1 |
| Mm65.3 Hwy93 | 1 |
| Mm65.4 Us93 | 1 |
| Mm73.9 Us93 | 1 |
ZIP 59915 at a glance
| Population | 452 |
| Density | 3 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $58,750 |
| Home ownership | 83% |
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 | — | — | 1.7 |
| 2000s | 14 | — | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 10 | -33% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 10 | +9% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 2000s and 10 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 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 59915
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 59915?
138 truck crashes have been reported in Lake County since 2015, with 10 deaths and 68 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 59915?
Truck crashes in Lake County peak in December, with 14.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 59915?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Lake County since 2015 (1.4% of truck crashes).
How does ZIP 59915 compare with Montana for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Lake County has 34.3 truck crashes a year; Montana has 64.3.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 59915?
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.