Morehead City, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Morehead City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Morehead City and Carteret County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Carteret County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 264 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Carteret County compares with North Carolina
Carteret County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2023 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Carteret County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2023) | Carteret County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 38.1 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 38% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.69 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.5% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 73% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.7% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 56% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.4% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 8.9% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 56% below the state |
Carteret County sits below North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Carteret County: 1 in 16 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 6.1%, vs 2.6% in North Carolina.
Overview
Carteret County has recorded 264 truck crashes since 2015, with 186 people injured and 5 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 14 days in fully reported years.
With 83 truck crashes reported in Morehead City since 2015, this page uses Carteret County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 10.6% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (4.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.4% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (12.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.5% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
US-70 leads within 10 miles of Morehead City with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-101 (1), SR-24 (1) and Ssr-1155 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 13 crashes, 4.9% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Route planning tips for Morehead City fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Carteret County.
- Where you can, review stops along US-70; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 26.6% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above North Carolina; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2021, 2024 and 2025, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Carteret County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-70 | 3 |
| SR-101 | 1 |
| SR-24 | 1 |
| Ssr-1155 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Carteret County) |
|---|---|
| Bridges St | 5 |
| Arendell St | 2 |
| Buddy Parker Lane | 2 |
| Kangaroo | 2 |
| Turner St | 2 |
| Business Dr | 1 |
| Circle K | 1 |
| Danny Varner Building | 1 |
Morehead City at a glance
| Population | 9,963 |
| Land area | 7.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,344 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28557) | $68,528 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28557) | $361,768 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Carteret 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 | 13 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | +17% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 22 | +44% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 23 | +4% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 13 a year in the 1990s and 23 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Morehead City
How common are truck crashes in Morehead City?
264 truck crashes have been reported in Carteret County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 186 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Morehead City?
NHTSA data shows US-70 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Morehead City since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Morehead City?
The worst month is June: 10.6% of truck crashes in Carteret County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Morehead City?
Garbage trucks were involved in 13 reported crashes in Carteret County since 2015 (4.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Morehead City compared with North Carolina?
Carteret County records 38.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Morehead City?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2021, 2024 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.