Brighton, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Brighton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Brighton and Jefferson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Jefferson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Jefferson County compares with Alabama
Jefferson County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jefferson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jefferson County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 81.9 | 80.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 38% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 13% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.8% | 0.8% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.3% | 22.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.5% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.4% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.8% | 23.7% | 24.8% | same |
Jefferson County sits below Alabama on deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Brighton: 1.7× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of Brighton (2.8 → 4.8).
Overview
Police reported 6,305 crashes involving commercial trucks in Jefferson County since 2015: 2,535 people were injured and 141 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Only 4 truck crashes were reported in Brighton since 2015; patterns below come from Jefferson County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (9.2% of the year) and are lowest in February (7.3%).
November through March accounts for 41.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Alabama.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (6.8%).
0.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-59 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (9). It is followed by I-65 (6), I-459 (5) and I-20 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
185 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.9% share (Alabama: 2.3%).
Their busiest month is August, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.3, vs 2.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Brighton fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-59 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in August; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Jefferson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 9 |
| I-65 | 6 |
| I-459 | 5 |
| I-20 | 3 |
| SR-5 | 3 |
| 24th St N | 1 |
| 32nd St | 1 |
| Balsam Ave Sw | 1 |
| Bankhead Hwy | 1 |
| Bessemer Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jefferson County) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 1,303 |
| I-65 | 1,128 |
| I-459 | 596 |
| I-20 | 495 |
| US-280 | 124 |
| I-22 | 115 |
| US-78 | 74 |
| US-31 | 52 |
Brighton at a glance
| Population | 2,245 |
| Land area | 1.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,587 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35228) | $50,815 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35228) | $93,374 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jefferson 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 | 168 | — | 10.0 |
| 2000s | 360 | +114% | 11.5 |
| 2010s | 486 | +35% | 8.7 |
| 2020s | 484 | -0% | 10.6 |
In the 1990s about 168 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 484. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 6.8 a year in 2016–19, 10.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Brighton
How many truck accidents are there in Brighton?
6,305 truck crashes have been reported in Jefferson County since 2015, with 141 deaths and 2,535 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Brighton?
Since 2015, I-59 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Brighton: 9.
When do most truck crashes happen in Brighton?
The worst month is March: 9.2% of truck crashes in Jefferson County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Brighton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 185 reported crashes in Jefferson County since 2015 (2.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Brighton compare with Alabama?
The yearly rate is 81.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Jefferson County, vs 80.8 for Alabama.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Brighton?
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.