Brighton, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Brighton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Brighton and Adams County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Adams County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Adams County compares with Colorado
Adams County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Adams County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Adams County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 42.0 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.2% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 51% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.5% | 25.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.1% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 38% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.6% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Adams County sits below Colorado on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Adams County: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 17% of them.
Overview
Adams County has recorded 2,673 truck crashes since 2015, with 777 people injured and 89 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 178 truck crashes were reported in Brighton since 2015; patterns below come from Adams County as a whole.
35% of truck crash reports in Adams County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 9.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 7.4%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.7% of truck crashes, vs 43.5% for Colorado.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
7.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 14.8% across Colorado.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Brighton is US-85, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-76 (5), SR-470 (3) and SR-7 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
84 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.1% share (Colorado: 2.8%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in April (17% of them).
They recorded 6.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Brighton fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-85, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Adams County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-85 | 9 |
| I-76 | 5 |
| SR-470 | 3 |
| SR-7 | 3 |
| SR-52 | 2 |
| Tower Rd | 2 |
| Buckley Rd | 1 |
| CR-19 | 1 |
| CR-4 | 1 |
| CR-6 Crown Prince Blvd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Adams County) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 53 |
| I270 At Hwy 85 | 17 |
| I 25 At Mp 217 | 11 |
| I 76 At Mp 6 | 11 |
| I 25 At Mp 221 | 10 |
| I 70 At N Chambers Rd | 10 |
| I76 At Mp 10 | 9 |
| I25 At Mp 218 | 9 |
Brighton at a glance
| Population | 43,473 |
| Land area | 21.7 sq mi |
| Density | 2,001 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 80601) | $105,417 |
| Median home value (ZIP 80601) | $503,378 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Adams 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 | 129 | — | 4.3 |
| 2000s | 192 | +50% | 3.4 |
| 2010s | 207 | +7% | 5.5 |
| 2020s | 223 | +8% | 6.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 129 to 223. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 8.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Brighton
How many truck crashes happen in Brighton?
2,673 truck crashes have been reported in Adams County since 2015, with 89 deaths and 777 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Brighton?
NHTSA data shows US-85 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Brighton since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Brighton?
February has the most truck crashes in Adams County, 9.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Brighton?
84 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Adams County since 2015, 3.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Brighton compared with Colorado?
Per 100,000 residents, Adams County has 42.0 truck crashes a year; Colorado has 32.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Brighton?
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.