Duluth, GA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Duluth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Duluth and Gwinnett County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Gwinnett County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Gwinnett County compares with Georgia
Gwinnett County against Georgia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gwinnett County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gwinnett County | Georgia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.8 | 62.4 | 49.7 | 35% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 39% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 32% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.3% | 0.5% | 6.2% | 34% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.2% | 22.6% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.8% | 11.4% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.9% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.7% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Gwinnett County sits below Georgia on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Georgia on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark.
Duluth at a glance: I-85 deadliest road: 23 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Duluth since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 4,950 crashes involving commercial trucks in Gwinnett County since 2015: 1,682 people were injured and 96 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 342 truck crashes were reported in Duluth since 2015; patterns below come from Gwinnett County as a whole.
45% of truck crash reports in Gwinnett County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.7% of the yearly total, while January has the fewest (7.3%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.9% of truck crashes, against 40.9% across Georgia.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 6.7% of truck crashes.
0.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.5% across Georgia.
Where crashes happen
I-85 leads within 10 miles of Duluth with 23 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-285 (4), SR-316 (4) and SR-141 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 156 crashes, 3.2% of the total, against 2.6% across Georgia.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (13%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.8, vs 2.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Duluth fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-85 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 24.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Georgia.
- 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 Gwinnett County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 23 |
| I-285 | 4 |
| SR-316 | 4 |
| SR-141 | 3 |
| US-23 | 3 |
| Peachtree Industrial Blvd. | 2 |
| SR-140 | 2 |
| SR-8 | 2 |
| Burns Road | 1 |
| CR-185000 Dawson Blvd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gwinnett County) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 36 |
| I-85 South | 21 |
| Buford | 20 |
| I-85 North | 15 |
| I 85 S Near Jimmy Carter | 12 |
| Jimmy Carter Blvd | 12 |
| I-85 North / Pleasant Hill Rd | 10 |
| I-85 North / Jimmy Carter Blvd | 10 |
Duluth at a glance
| Population | 33,157 |
| Land area | 10.2 sq mi |
| Density | 3,264 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gwinnett 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 | 268 | — | 6.8 |
| 2000s | 291 | +8% | 6.9 |
| 2010s | 305 | +5% | 4.7 |
| 2020s | 457 | +50% | 7.6 |
In the 1990s about 268 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 457. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 5.0 a year in 2016–19 and 7.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Duluth
How common are truck crashes in Duluth?
4,950 truck crashes have been reported in Gwinnett County since 2015, with 96 deaths and 1,682 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Duluth?
NHTSA data shows I-85 with 23 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Duluth since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Duluth?
The worst month is October: 9.7% of truck crashes in Gwinnett County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Duluth?
156 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Gwinnett County since 2015, 3.2% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Duluth compared with Georgia?
Gwinnett County records 40.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 62.4 across Georgia.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Duluth?
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.