Highland Lakes, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Highland Lakes: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Highland Lakes 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 has lower values than Alabama for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Alabama on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Highland Lakes at a glance: I-459 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Highland Lakes since 2015.
Overview
Shelby County has recorded 1,467 truck crashes since 2015, with 576 people injured and 30 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Highland Lakes since 2015; patterns below come from Shelby County as a whole.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.5% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (6.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 38.7% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Alabama.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 8.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Alabama: 0.8%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Highland Lakes is I-459, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: Us-Sr 38 (4), US-280 (3) and I-65 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 40 of the truck crashes here, or 2.7%, compared with 2.3% in Alabama.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in April (12% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Highland Lakes fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-459, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 24.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Alabama.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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) |
|---|---|
| I-459 | 6 |
| Us-Sr 38 | 4 |
| US-280 | 3 |
| I-65 | 2 |
| CR-11 | 1 |
| CR-DUNNAVANT Valley Rd | 1 |
| US-31 | 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 |
Highland Lakes at a glance
| Land area | 3.8 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35242) | $117,047 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35242) | $477,766 |
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. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Highland Lakes
How many truck crashes happen in Highland Lakes?
1,467 truck crashes have been reported in Shelby County since 2015, with 30 deaths and 576 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Highland Lakes?
NHTSA data shows I-459 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Highland Lakes since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Highland Lakes?
October has the most truck crashes in Shelby County, 9.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Highland Lakes?
Garbage trucks were involved in 40 reported crashes in Shelby County since 2015 (2.7% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Highland Lakes compared with Alabama?
Shelby County records 53.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Alabama.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Highland Lakes?
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.