Benton, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Benton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Benton and Lowndes County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lowndes County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 385 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lowndes County compares with Alabama
Lowndes County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lowndes County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lowndes County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 339.3 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 4.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 75% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.7% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.6% | 22.5% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.4% | 12.3% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 36.4% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Lowndes County sits below Alabama on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Lowndes County: 1.7% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Overview
Police reported 385 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lowndes County since 2015: 169 people were injured and 22 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 11 days.
Benton had 2 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lowndes County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 13.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 4.7%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.7% of truck crashes, vs 40.8% for Alabama.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 6.5% of truck crashes.
1.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-80 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.5% of the total, against 2.3% across Alabama.
Route planning tips for Benton fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along US-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 1.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Alabama; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Lowndes County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-80 | 5 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lowndes County) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 216 |
| US-80 | 74 |
| Al-97 | 17 |
| Al-21 | 14 |
| US-31 | 9 |
| Cr-6 | 7 |
| Tyson Road | 4 |
| Cr-37 | 3 |
Benton at a glance
| Population | 37 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 123 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 36785) | $29,619 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lowndes 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 | 17 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 21 | +26% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 25 | +17% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 35 | +43% | 1.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 17 a year in the 1990s and 35 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Benton
How many truck accidents are there in Benton?
Lowndes County has had 385 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 169 people and killing 22.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Benton?
US-80 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Benton since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Benton?
December has the most truck crashes in Lowndes County, 13.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Benton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Lowndes County since 2015 (0.5% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Benton compared with Alabama?
The yearly rate is 339.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lowndes County, vs 80.8 for Alabama.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Benton?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.