Tar Heel, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Tar Heel: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Tar Heel and Bladen County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Bladen County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 464 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Bladen County compares with North Carolina
Bladen County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Bladen County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Bladen County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 136.8 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 2.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.1 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 2.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.80 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 31% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.9% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 48% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.5% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.6% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Bladen County has lower values than North Carolina for garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Bladen County at a glance: 7.1 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 2.5 across North Carolina.
Overview
Bladen County has recorded 464 truck crashes since 2015, with 371 people injured and 34 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
With 107 truck crashes reported in Tar Heel since 2015, this page uses Bladen County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 10.6% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.6% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (8.0%).
Road surface: 0.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Tar Heel is SR-20, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-87 (4), SR-41 (2) and Ssr-1300 Chickenfoot Rd (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
8 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.7% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Tar Heel fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Bladen County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-20 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Bladen County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-20 | 5 |
| SR-87 | 4 |
| SR-41 | 2 |
| Ssr-1300 Chickenfoot Rd | 2 |
| Ssr-1004 Tar Heel Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Bladen County) |
|---|---|
| S Poplar St | 5 |
| Broad St | 4 |
| C R England | 2 |
| E Broad St | 2 |
| Golden Run | 2 |
| Broad Street | 1 |
| Marathon Gas | 1 |
| Mercer Mill | 1 |
Tar Heel at a glance
| Population | 90 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 388 per sq mi |
| Median home value (ZIP 28392) | $122,265 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Bladen 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 | 23 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 28 | +21% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 39 | +39% | 1.6 |
| 2020s | 38 | -5% | 2.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 23 to 38. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Tar Heel
How many truck accidents are there in Tar Heel?
Bladen County has had 464 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 371 people and killing 34.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Tar Heel?
Since 2015, SR-20 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Tar Heel: 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Tar Heel?
Truck crashes in Bladen County peak in June, with 10.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Tar Heel?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Bladen County since 2015, 1.7% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Tar Heel compare with North Carolina?
The yearly rate is 136.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Bladen County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Tar Heel?
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.