Gadsden, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Gadsden: 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
10 of 329 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Gadsden compares with Alabama
Gadsden against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gadsden stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gadsden | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 84.4 | 80.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 53% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.3% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.8% | 22.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.4% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.4% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.6% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 22% below the state |
Gadsden has lower values than Alabama for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Gadsden: 1 in 31 crashes involve a garbage truck (10 since 2015), vs 2.3% across Alabama.
Overview
Since 2015, 329 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Gadsden. They injured 130 people and killed 5.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 13 days.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 11.9% of the yearly total, while January has the fewest (5.2%).
November through March accounts for 39.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Alabama.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (9.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.3% of truck crashes, compared with 0.8% in Alabama.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Gadsden happened on I-59 (7), SR-77 (7), US-411 (2), US-431 (2) and I-759 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 10 of the truck crashes here, or 3.0%, compared with 2.3% in Alabama.
Route planning tips for Gadsden fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Gadsden.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Gadsden
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 7 |
| SR-77 | 7 |
| US-411 | 2 |
| US-431 | 2 |
| I-759 | 1 |
| Mu-Pleasant Valley Rd | 1 |
| SR-211 | 1 |
| SR-25 | 1 |
| Sutton Bridge Rd | 1 |
| Tidmore Bend Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gadsden) |
|---|---|
| E Meighan Blvd | 29 |
| I-759 | 20 |
| East Meighan Blvd | 19 |
| W Meighan Blvd | 17 |
| West Meighan Blvd | 12 |
| SR-77 | 11 |
| US-431 | 10 |
| Al-77 | 10 |
Gadsden at a glance
| Population | 33,086 |
| Land area | 37.4 sq mi |
| Density | 884 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gadsden 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 | 0 | — | 2.8 |
| 2000s | 0 | -33% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 20 | +9650% | 2.8 |
| 2020s | 24 | +24% | 4.0 |
In the 2010s about 20 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 24. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.5 a year in 2016–19 and 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Gadsden
How common are truck crashes in Gadsden?
Gadsden has had 329 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 130 people and killing 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Gadsden?
Truck crashes in Gadsden peak in August, with 11.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Gadsden?
10 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Gadsden since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Gadsden compare with Alabama?
Per 100,000 residents, Gadsden has 84.4 truck crashes a year; Alabama has 80.8.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Gadsden?
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.