Asheville, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Asheville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Asheville compares with North Carolina
Asheville against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Asheville stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Asheville | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 175.4 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 2.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 44% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.4% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.1% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.4% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.1% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.7% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Compared with North Carolina, Asheville is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Asheville at a glance: I-40 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Asheville since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,905 crashes involving commercial trucks in Asheville since 2015: 977 people were injured and 27 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is May with 9.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 6.9%.
November through March accounts for 41.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 8.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.1% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
I-40 leads within 10 miles of Asheville with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-26 (5), US-19 (3) and US-70 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 64 crashes, 3.4% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (11% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 1.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Asheville fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-40; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- 2.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above North Carolina; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Asheville
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 6 |
| I-26 | 5 |
| US-19 | 3 |
| US-70 | 3 |
| SR-63 | 2 |
| US-25 | 2 |
| I-240 | 1 |
| SR-191 | 1 |
| SR-280 | 1 |
| SR-81 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Asheville) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 17 |
| I-26 | 10 |
| Ta Truck Stop | 10 |
| Biltmore Ave | 10 |
| Sand Hill Rd | 8 |
| Hendersonville Rd | 8 |
| Sweeten Creek Rd | 6 |
| Amboy Rd | 6 |
Asheville at a glance
| Population | 94,992 |
| Land area | 45.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,089 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Asheville 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 | 27 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 98 | +263% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 143 | +46% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 158 | +11% | 2.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 27 to 158. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.2 a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Asheville
How many truck crashes happen in Asheville?
1,905 truck crashes have been reported in Asheville since 2015, with 27 deaths and 977 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Asheville?
NHTSA data shows I-40 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Asheville since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Asheville?
May has the most truck crashes in Asheville, 9.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Asheville?
64 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Asheville since 2015, 3.4% of all truck crashes.
How does Asheville compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 175.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Asheville, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Asheville?
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.