Gardendale, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Gardendale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Gardendale 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. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Gardendale: I-65 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Gardendale since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 6,305 crashes involving commercial trucks in Jefferson County since 2015: 2,535 people were injured and 141 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 18 truck crashes reported in Gardendale since 2015, this page uses Jefferson County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (9.2% of the year) and are lowest in February (7.3%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.4% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Alabama.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out 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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Gardendale is I-65, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-59 (5), SR-79 (5) and I-22 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
185 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.9% share (Alabama: 2.3%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (13% of them).
They recorded 2.3 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Gardendale fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-65, 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
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 Jefferson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 6 |
| I-59 | 5 |
| SR-79 | 5 |
| I-22 | 3 |
| Bankhead Hwy | 1 |
| Black Creek Rd | 1 |
| CR-DUG Hollow Rd | 1 |
| CR-N Warrior Jasper Rd E | 1 |
| Parkway East | 1 |
| SR-75 | 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 |
Gardendale at a glance
| Population | 16,444 |
| Land area | 23.0 sq mi |
| Density | 715 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35071) | $82,074 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35071) | $262,778 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 168 a year in the 1990s and 484 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 6.8 a year in 2016–19 and 10.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Gardendale
How many truck accidents are there in Gardendale?
Jefferson County has had 6,305 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,535 people and killing 141.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Gardendale?
NHTSA data shows I-65 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Gardendale since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Gardendale?
The worst month is March: 9.2% of truck crashes in Jefferson County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Gardendale?
185 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Jefferson County since 2015, 2.9% of all truck crashes.
How does Gardendale compare with Alabama for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 81.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Jefferson County, vs 80.8 for Alabama.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Gardendale?
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.