Panama City Beach, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Panama City Beach: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Panama City Beach and Bay County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Bay County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Bay County compares with Florida
Bay County against Florida and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Bay County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Bay County | Florida | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.2 | 37.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.51 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 7.0% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.1% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.4% | 25.2% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.3% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.6% | 42.1% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.6% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
Bay County sits below Florida on on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Bay County: 1 in 14 garbage-truck share of crashes is 7.0%, against 3.8% for Florida.
Overview
Bay County has recorded 851 truck crashes since 2015, with 420 people injured and 41 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 5 days.
Only 54 truck crashes were reported in Panama City Beach since 2015; patterns below come from Bay County as a whole.
When crashes happen
April has the most truck crashes, 10.8% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (7.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.6% of truck crashes, vs 42.1% for Florida.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 9.3% of truck crashes.
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.1% across Florida.
Where crashes happen
US-98 leads within 10 miles of Panama City Beach with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by CR-392 (1), Landfill Rd (1) and SR-392A (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 58 of the truck crashes here, or 6.8%, compared with 3.8% in Florida.
Their busiest month is July, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 1.8 deaths per 100 crashes, against 4.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Panama City Beach fleets
- Build extra time into April routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-98, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at July schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 27.4% of truck crashes here, more than Florida; adjust start times where you can.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Bay County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-98 | 6 |
| CR-392 | 1 |
| Landfill Rd | 1 |
| SR-392A | 1 |
| SR-79 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Bay County) |
|---|---|
| US-98 | 56 |
| State Road 77 | 54 |
| US-231 | 46 |
| SR-77 | 34 |
| U.S. Highway 98 | 28 |
| State Road 20 | 24 |
| SR-231 | 24 |
| State Road 75 | 24 |
Panama City Beach at a glance
| Population | 19,955 |
| Land area | 19.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,033 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Bay 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 | 14 | — | 2.3 |
| 2000s | 31 | +120% | 1.3 |
| 2010s | 58 | +85% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 72 | +25% | 3.4 |
In the 1990s about 14 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 72. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Panama City Beach
How common are truck crashes in Panama City Beach?
851 truck crashes have been reported in Bay County since 2015, with 41 deaths and 420 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Panama City Beach?
US-98 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Panama City Beach since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Panama City Beach?
The worst month is April: 10.8% of truck crashes in Bay County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Panama City Beach?
Garbage trucks were involved in 58 reported crashes in Bay County since 2015 (6.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Panama City Beach compare with Florida?
The yearly rate is 37.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Bay County, vs 37.4 for Florida.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Panama City Beach?
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.