Etowah County, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Etowah County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, 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
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Etowah County compares with Alabama
Etowah County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Etowah County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Etowah County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 87.6 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 75% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 22.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.5% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.2% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.8% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Etowah County has lower values than Alabama for on snow, slush or ice and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Etowah County: I-59 10 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road in Etowah County.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,054 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Etowah County. They injured 472 people and killed 41.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.9% of the yearly total, while October has the fewest (6.9%).
November through March accounts for 39.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Alabama.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (8.3%).
Road surface: 0.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Alabama: 0.8%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-59 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (10). Next come SR-77 (9), US-411 (3) and US-431 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
24 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.3% share (Alabama: 2.3%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in September (17%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 4.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Etowah County fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-59; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: September is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Etowah County.
- 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 Etowah County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Etowah County) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 10 |
| SR-77 | 9 |
| US-411 | 3 |
| US-431 | 3 |
| SR-25 | 2 |
| US-278 | 2 |
| Us-Sr 74 | 2 |
| I-759 | 1 |
| Mu-Pleasant Valley Rd | 1 |
| SR-179 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Etowah County) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 187 |
| US-431 | 120 |
| US-278 | 99 |
| Al-77 | 84 |
| US-411 | 30 |
| E Meighan Blvd | 29 |
| I-759 | 22 |
| East Meighan Blvd | 19 |
Etowah County at a glance
| Population | 103,207 |
| Land area | 535.1 sq mi |
| Density | 193 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $55,236 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Etowah 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 | 41 | — | 2.8 |
| 2000s | 65 | +58% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 86 | +31% | 2.8 |
| 2020s | 81 | -6% | 4.0 |
In the 1990s about 41 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 81. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 3.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Etowah County
ZIP codes in Etowah County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Etowah County
How common are truck crashes in Etowah County?
Since 2015, 1,054 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Etowah County (472 injured, 41 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Etowah County?
Since 2015, I-59 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Etowah County: 10.
When do most truck crashes happen in Etowah County?
August has the most truck crashes in Etowah County, 9.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Etowah County?
24 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Etowah County since 2015, 2.3% of all truck crashes.
How does Etowah County compare with Alabama for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 87.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Etowah County, vs 80.8 for Alabama.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Etowah County?
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.