Fort Smith, AR truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Fort Smith: 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
12 of 454 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Fort Smith compares with Arkansas
Fort Smith against Arkansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Fort Smith stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Fort Smith | Arkansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 43.8 | 92.4 | 49.7 | 53% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 72% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.45 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.1% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 65% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.8% | 22.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.9% | 15.4% | 13.8% | 42% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 35.5% | 40.9% | 41.9% | 13% below the state |
| After dark | 14.7% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 35% below the state |
Fort Smith sits below Arkansas on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
Fort Smith at a glance: 1 in 36 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 2.8%, vs 1.6% in Arkansas.
Overview
Police reported 454 crashes involving commercial trucks in Fort Smith since 2015: 185 people were injured and 5 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (11.9% of the year) and are lowest in December (5.5%).
November through March accounts for 35.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in Arkansas.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 9.7% of truck crashes.
1.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.3% across Arkansas.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Fort Smith is I-40, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-64 (4), I-540 (2) and SR-255 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 12 crashes, 2.6% of the total, against 1.6% across Arkansas.
Route planning tips for Fort Smith fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-40 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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 Fort Smith
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 5 |
| US-64 | 4 |
| I-540 | 2 |
| SR-255 | 2 |
| US-71 | 2 |
| SR-59 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Fort Smith) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 36 |
| I-540E | 24 |
| I-540W | 23 |
| Cst(Phoenix Avenue) | 22 |
| Sh255 | 20 |
| I-540 | 19 |
| Cst(South Zero Street) | 19 |
| Cst(Towson Avenue) | 17 |
Fort Smith at a glance
| Population | 90,507 |
| Land area | 64.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,410 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 72903) | $61,434 |
| Median home value (ZIP 72903) | $236,743 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Fort Smith 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 | 22 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 35 | +59% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 37 | +6% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 42 | +14% | 1.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 22 to 42. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Fort Smith
How common are truck crashes in Fort Smith?
454 truck crashes have been reported in Fort Smith since 2015, with 5 deaths and 185 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Fort Smith?
NHTSA data shows I-40 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Fort Smith since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Fort Smith?
Truck crashes in Fort Smith peak in August, with 11.9% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Fort Smith?
Garbage trucks were involved in 12 reported crashes in Fort Smith since 2015 (2.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Fort Smith compared with Arkansas?
Fort Smith records 43.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 92.4 across Arkansas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Fort Smith?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.