Craighead County, AR truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Craighead County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Craighead County compares with Arkansas
Craighead County against Arkansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Craighead County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Craighead County | Arkansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 71.5 | 92.4 | 49.7 | 23% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.45 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 44% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.9% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.1% | 15.4% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.5% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.9% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 20% below the state |
Craighead County has lower values than Arkansas for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Craighead County: 1 in 35 crashes involve a garbage truck (27 since 2015), vs 1.6% across Arkansas.
Overview
Police reported 979 crashes involving commercial trucks in Craighead County since 2015: 456 people were injured and 41 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in February (6.3%).
November through March accounts for 39.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in Arkansas.
The busiest hour is 4–5 pm, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 1.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Arkansas: 3.3%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-18 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (9). Next come US-49 (6), US-63 (4) and I-555 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 27 of the truck crashes here, or 2.8%, compared with 1.6% in Arkansas.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (11%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.8, vs 3.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Craighead County fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-18; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Craighead County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 24.9% of truck crashes here, more than Arkansas; 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
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 Craighead County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Craighead County) |
|---|---|
| SR-18 | 9 |
| US-49 | 6 |
| US-63 | 4 |
| I-555 | 3 |
| SR-91 | 2 |
| CR-NESTLE Rd | 1 |
| Cs-Kathleen St | 1 |
| I-00555 | 1 |
| Nestle Rd | 1 |
| SR-463 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Craighead County) |
|---|---|
| Sh18 | 94 |
| I-555 | 67 |
| US-49 | 44 |
| US-63 | 42 |
| US-63N | 34 |
| Sh226 | 31 |
| I-49 | 30 |
| Cst(Red Wolf Boulevard) | 24 |
Craighead County at a glance
| Population | 115,852 |
| Land area | 707.2 sq mi |
| Density | 164 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $62,574 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Craighead 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 | 43 | — | 2.1 |
| 2000s | 42 | -4% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 65 | +56% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 88 | +35% | 2.6 |
In the 1990s about 43 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 88. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 3.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Craighead County
ZIP codes in Craighead County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Craighead County
How common are truck crashes in Craighead County?
Craighead County has had 979 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 456 people and killing 41.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Craighead County?
SR-18 had 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Craighead County since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Craighead County?
The worst month is June: 10.5% of truck crashes in Craighead County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Craighead County?
27 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Craighead County since 2015, 2.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Craighead County compare with Arkansas?
The yearly rate is 71.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Craighead County, vs 92.4 for Arkansas.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Craighead County?
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.