Rainbow City, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rainbow City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rainbow City and Etowah County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Etowah County numbers.
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. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Rainbow City: SR-77 deadliest road: 10 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Rainbow City since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,054 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Etowah County. They injured 472 people and killed 41.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 61 truck crashes were reported in Rainbow City since 2015; patterns below come from Etowah County as a whole.
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.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 8.3% of truck crashes.
0.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Where crashes happen
SR-77 leads within 10 miles of Rainbow City with 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-59 (6), I-759 (1) and Mu-Pleasant Valley Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
24 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.3% share (Alabama: 2.3%).
Their busiest month is September, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 4.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Rainbow City fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-77 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; review collection routes for that month.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Etowah County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-77 | 10 |
| I-59 | 6 |
| I-759 | 1 |
| Mu-Pleasant Valley Rd | 1 |
| SR-25 | 1 |
| Sutton Bridge Rd | 1 |
| Tidmore Bend Rd | 1 |
| US-431 | 1 |
| Us-Sr 1 | 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 |
Rainbow City at a glance
| Population | 10,349 |
| Land area | 25.6 sq mi |
| Density | 403 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35906) | $56,420 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35906) | $218,534 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 41 a year in the 1990s and 81 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 3.5 a year in 2016–19 and 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rainbow City
How many truck accidents are there in Rainbow City?
1,054 truck crashes have been reported in Etowah County since 2015, with 41 deaths and 472 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Rainbow City?
SR-77 had 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Rainbow City since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Rainbow City?
The worst month is August: 9.9% of truck crashes in Etowah County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Rainbow City?
24 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Etowah County since 2015, 2.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Rainbow City compared with Alabama?
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 Rainbow City?
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.