Gainesville, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Gainesville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Gainesville and Sumter County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sumter County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 487 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Sumter County compares with Alabama
Sumter County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sumter County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sumter County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 362.6 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 4.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 81% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.7% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 2.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.4% | 22.5% | 23.7% | 14% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.8% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.5% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 32.6% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Sumter County sits below Alabama on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and winter months (nov–mar). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Sumter County: 1.7% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 0.8% in Alabama.
Overview
Since 2015, 487 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sumter County. They injured 234 people and killed 16.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Gainesville since 2015, this page uses Sumter County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (11.1% of the year) and are lowest in December (5.7%).
November through March accounts for 36.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Alabama.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (7.2%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.7% of truck crashes, compared with 0.8% in Alabama.
Where crashes happen
I-59 leads within 10 miles of Gainesville with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: CR-30 (1) and SR-17 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.4% share (Alabama: 2.3%).
Route planning tips for Gainesville fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-59; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 1.7% of truck crashes here, more than Alabama; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Sumter County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 5 |
| CR-30 | 1 |
| SR-17 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sumter County) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 263 |
| US-80 | 68 |
| Al-17 | 56 |
| Al-28 | 22 |
| US-11 | 15 |
| Cr-30 | 5 |
| Al-116 | 4 |
| U S Highway 80 | 4 |
Gainesville at a glance
| Population | 164 |
| Land area | 1.7 sq mi |
| Density | 95 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35464) | $15,625 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sumter 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 | 28 | — | 2.0 |
| 2000s | 30 | +7% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 41 | +36% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 39 | -5% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 28 to 39. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Gainesville
How many truck accidents are there in Gainesville?
Since 2015, 487 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sumter County (234 injured, 16 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Gainesville?
Since 2015, I-59 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Gainesville: 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Gainesville?
Truck crashes in Sumter County peak in September, with 11.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Gainesville?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Sumter County since 2015 (0.4% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Gainesville compared with Alabama?
The yearly rate is 362.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Sumter County, vs 80.8 for Alabama.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Gainesville?
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.