Cherokee, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cherokee: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cherokee and Colbert County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Colbert County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 518 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Colbert County compares with Alabama
Colbert County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Colbert County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Colbert County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 75.5 | 80.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 37% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 24% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.9% | 22.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.9% | 12.3% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.3% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 22.9% | 23.7% | 24.8% | same |
Colbert County sits below Alabama on garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and winter months (nov–mar).
What stands out in Cherokee: US-72 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Cherokee.
Overview
Colbert County has recorded 518 truck crashes since 2015, with 281 people injured and 28 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 8 days.
Cherokee had 10 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Colbert County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (11.8% of the year) and are lowest in July (4.6%).
November through March accounts for 44.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Alabama.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (8.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.6% of truck crashes, compared with 0.8% in Alabama.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Cherokee is US-72, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come CR-14 (1), CR-RIVERTON Rose Trail (1) and SR-247 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
7 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Alabama: 2.3%).
Route planning tips for Cherokee fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Colbert County.
- Check whether your routes use US-72, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 Colbert County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-72 | 3 |
| CR-14 | 1 |
| CR-RIVERTON Rose Trail | 1 |
| SR-247 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Colbert County) |
|---|---|
| US-72 | 128 |
| Al-20 | 56 |
| SR-72 | 36 |
| Al-157 | 31 |
| US-43 | 28 |
| Wilson Dam Road | 12 |
| Al-184 | 11 |
| Al-133 | 10 |
Cherokee at a glance
| Population | 967 |
| Land area | 2.2 sq mi |
| Density | 436 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35616) | $48,720 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35616) | $100,182 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Colbert 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 | 39 | — | 2.8 |
| 2000s | 43 | +10% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 43 | -1% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 42 | -1% | 3.0 |
In the 1990s about 39 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 42. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cherokee
How common are truck crashes in Cherokee?
518 truck crashes have been reported in Colbert County since 2015, with 28 deaths and 281 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Cherokee?
US-72 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cherokee since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Cherokee?
The worst month is October: 11.8% of truck crashes in Colbert County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cherokee?
Since 2015, Colbert County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Cherokee compared with Alabama?
Per 100,000 residents, Colbert County has 75.5 truck crashes a year; Alabama has 80.8.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Cherokee?
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.