Harpersville, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Harpersville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Harpersville and Shelby County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Shelby 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 2.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Shelby County compares with Alabama
Shelby County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Shelby County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Shelby County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.6 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 34% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 38% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 29% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.2% | 22.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.8% | 12.3% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.7% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.0% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Shelby County sits below Alabama on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Harpersville: US-280 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Harpersville: 4 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,467 crashes involving commercial trucks in Shelby County since 2015: 576 people were injured and 30 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
With 42 truck crashes reported in Harpersville since 2015, this page uses Shelby County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.5% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (6.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.7% of truck crashes, vs 40.8% for Alabama.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.6% of truck crashes, compared with 0.8% in Alabama.
Where crashes happen
US-280 leads within 10 miles of Harpersville with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-25 (3), SR-38 (2) and SR-76 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 40 crashes, 2.7% of the total, against 2.3% across Alabama.
Their busiest month is April, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Harpersville fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-280; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 24.2% of truck crashes here, more than Alabama; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Shelby County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-280 | 4 |
| SR-25 | 3 |
| SR-38 | 2 |
| SR-76 | 2 |
| Us-Sr 38 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Shelby County) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 490 |
| US-280 | 206 |
| US-31 | 101 |
| Al-25 | 93 |
| Pelham Parkway | 43 |
| Al-119 | 30 |
| Al-70 | 18 |
| Cahaba Valley Road | 17 |
Harpersville at a glance
| Population | 1,925 |
| Land area | 22.0 sq mi |
| Density | 88 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35078) | $75,056 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35078) | $215,849 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Shelby 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 | 53 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 100 | +90% | 2.9 |
| 2010s | 117 | +17% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 118 | +1% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 53 a year in the 1990s and 118 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Harpersville
How many truck accidents are there in Harpersville?
Since 2015, 1,467 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Shelby County (576 injured, 30 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Harpersville?
NHTSA data shows US-280 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Harpersville since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Harpersville?
The worst month is October: 9.5% of truck crashes in Shelby County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Harpersville?
Garbage trucks were involved in 40 reported crashes in Shelby County since 2015 (2.7% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Harpersville compare with Alabama?
The yearly rate is 53.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Shelby County, vs 80.8 for Alabama.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Harpersville?
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.