Clay, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Clay: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Clay 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 |
Compared with Alabama, Jefferson County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Alabama on garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Clay: SR-79 5 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Clay.
Overview
Police reported 6,305 crashes involving commercial trucks in Jefferson County since 2015: 2,535 people were injured and 141 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Clay since 2015, this page uses Jefferson County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 9.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 7.3%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.8% for Alabama.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 6.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.8% of truck crashes, compared with 0.8% in Alabama.
Where crashes happen
SR-79 leads within 10 miles of Clay with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-59 (3), SR-75 (2) and CR-10 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
185 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.9% share (Alabama: 2.3%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (13%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.3, vs 2.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Clay fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-79, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| SR-79 | 5 |
| I-59 | 3 |
| SR-75 | 2 |
| CR-10 | 1 |
| CR-DUG Hollow Rd | 1 |
| Parkway East | 1 |
| US-11 | 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 |
Clay at a glance
| Population | 10,241 |
| Land area | 11.3 sq mi |
| Density | 908 per sq mi |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 168 to 484. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 6.8 a year in 2016–19 and 10.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Clay
How common are truck crashes in Clay?
6,305 truck crashes have been reported in Jefferson County since 2015, with 141 deaths and 2,535 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Clay?
NHTSA data shows SR-79 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Clay since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Clay?
March has the most truck crashes in Jefferson County, 9.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Clay?
Since 2015, Jefferson County has reported 185 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Clay compared with Alabama?
Jefferson County records 81.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Alabama.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Clay?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.