ZIP 71497 (Natchitoches, LA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 71497: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Natchitoches 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 of 496 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Natchitoches Parish compares with Louisiana
Natchitoches Parish against Louisiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Natchitoches Parish stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Natchitoches Parish | Louisiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 118.5 | 81.5 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.67 | 0.77 | 0.49 | 13% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 61% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 43% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.3% | 23.6% | 23.7% | 14% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.0% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.9% | 40.3% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.8% | 23.9% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Natchitoches Parish has lower values than Louisiana for injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Louisiana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
Natchitoches Parish at a glance: 1 in 118 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.9%, vs 2.2% in Louisiana.
Overview
Police reported 496 crashes involving commercial trucks in Natchitoches Parish since 2015: 328 people were injured and 18 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (10.1% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.0%).
November through March accounts for 42.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.3% in Louisiana.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 7.9% of truck crashes.
0.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Louisiana.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 71497 happened on I-49 (1), SR-1 (1), SR-6 (1), US-71 (1) and US-84 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 4 crashes, 0.8% of the total, against 2.2% across Louisiana.
Route planning tips for ZIP 71497 fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Natchitoches Parish
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-49 | 1 |
| SR-1 | 1 |
| SR-6 | 1 |
| US-71 | 1 |
| US-84 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Natchitoches Parish) |
|---|---|
| I-49 | 217 |
| La-6 | 88 |
| La-1 | 36 |
| US-71 | 18 |
| La-9 | 13 |
| La-174 | 11 |
| La-486 | 10 |
| La-117 | 10 |
ZIP 71497 at a glance
| Population | 2,074 |
| Density | 1,601 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $2,499 |
| Home ownership | 2% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Natchitoches 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 | 13 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 31 | +136% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 44 | +43% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 41 | -7% | 1.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 13 a year in the 1990s and 41 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 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 71497
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 71497?
Natchitoches Parish has had 496 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 328 people and killing 18.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 71497?
Truck crashes in Natchitoches Parish peak in December, with 10.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 71497?
Garbage trucks were involved in 4 reported crashes in Natchitoches Parish since 2015 (0.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in ZIP 71497 compare with Louisiana?
Natchitoches Parish records 118.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 81.5 across Louisiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 71497?
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.