ZIP 71424 (Elmer, LA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 71424: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Rapides Parish, 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
4.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Rapides Parish compares with Louisiana
Rapides Parish against Louisiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rapides Parish stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rapides Parish | Louisiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 75.9 | 81.5 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.76 | 0.77 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.2% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.0% | 23.6% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.7% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 7% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 40.3% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.0% | 23.9% | 24.8% | 12% below the state |
Rapides Parish has lower values than Louisiana for deaths per 100 crashes, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It runs above Louisiana on on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Rapides Parish: 1.2% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 0.8% in Louisiana.
Overview
Police reported 1,152 crashes involving commercial trucks in Rapides Parish since 2015: 848 people were injured and 27 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (10.2% of the year) and are lowest in January (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.3% in Louisiana.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (8.3%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.2% of truck crashes, compared with 0.8% in Louisiana.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 71424 since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-112 (1), SR-28 (1) and SR-463 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
24 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.1% share (Louisiana: 2.2%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (25% of them).
They recorded 4.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 71424 fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: July is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Rapides Parish.
- 26.0% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Louisiana; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 1.2% of truck crashes here, more than Louisiana; 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Rapides Parish
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-112 | 1 |
| SR-28 | 1 |
| SR-463 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rapides Parish) |
|---|---|
| I-49 | 252 |
| La-28 | 143 |
| US-71 | 139 |
| US-165 | 127 |
| US-167 | 60 |
| La-1 | 48 |
| La-112 | 28 |
| I-0 | 26 |
ZIP 71424 at a glance
| Population | 1,439 |
| Density | 15 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $56,179 |
| Home ownership | 96% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Rapides Parish 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 | 31 | — | 3.6 |
| 2000s | 69 | +121% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 97 | +40% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 94 | -3% | 2.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 31 to 94. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 71424
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 71424?
Rapides Parish has had 1,152 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 848 people and killing 27.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 71424?
Truck crashes in Rapides Parish peak in March, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 71424?
Since 2015, Rapides Parish has reported 24 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 71424 compare with Louisiana?
Rapides Parish records 75.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 81.5 across Louisiana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 71424?
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.