Northwest, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Northwest: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Northwest and Brunswick County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Brunswick County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Brunswick County compares with North Carolina
Brunswick County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Brunswick County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Brunswick County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.9 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 33% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.72 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.8% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 53% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.7% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.5% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 57% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.4% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 13.0% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 36% below the state |
Brunswick County sits below North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Brunswick County at a glance: 1 in 24 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.1%, vs 2.6% in North Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 812 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Brunswick County. They injured 579 people and killed 21.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 5 days.
Northwest had 3 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Brunswick County numbers.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 10.0% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (6.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.4% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 10.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
SR-87 leads within 10 miles of Northwest with 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-74 (3), SR-11 (2) and Pva (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
32 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.9% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Their busiest month is September, with 19% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 3.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Northwest fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-87 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; review collection routes for that month.
- 27.7% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above North Carolina; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Brunswick County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-87 | 9 |
| US-74 | 3 |
| SR-11 | 2 |
| Pva | 1 |
| SR-210 | 1 |
| US-17 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Brunswick County) |
|---|---|
| Village Rd | 6 |
| Main St | 5 |
| Whiteville Rd | 4 |
| Main Street | 3 |
| US-17 | 3 |
| Balboa Ave | 2 |
| Fletcher Rd | 2 |
| Industrial Blvd | 2 |
Northwest at a glance
| Population | 1,037 |
| Land area | 7.2 sq mi |
| Density | 145 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28451) | $81,481 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28451) | $353,018 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Brunswick 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 | 28 | — | 2.3 |
| 2000s | 41 | +48% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 59 | +44% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 63 | +8% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 28 to 63. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Northwest
How many truck accidents are there in Northwest?
Brunswick County has had 812 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 579 people and killing 21.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Northwest?
SR-87 had 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Northwest since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Northwest?
June has the most truck crashes in Brunswick County, 10.0% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Northwest?
Since 2015, Brunswick County has reported 32 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.9% of its truck crashes.
How does Northwest compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Brunswick County records 40.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Northwest?
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.