Catawba County, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Catawba County: 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 1.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Catawba County compares with North Carolina
Catawba County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Catawba County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Catawba County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.7 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.59 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.9% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.5% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.1% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Catawba County sits below North Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and after dark. It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Catawba County at a glance: 1 in 28 garbage-truck share of crashes is 3.6%, against 2.6% for North Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,434 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Catawba County. They injured 844 people and killed 27.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is November with 9.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 7.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.5% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (8.0%).
1.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck in Catawba County since 2015: I-40 (3), SR-16 (3), SR-10 (2), SR-1400 (2) and US-70 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 53 of the truck crashes here, or 3.7%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (13% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Catawba County fleets
- Review driver schedules for November, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: July is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Catawba County.
- 1.9% 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
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 Catawba County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Catawba County) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 3 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| SR-10 | 2 |
| SR-1400 | 2 |
| US-70 | 2 |
| 9th Ave | 1 |
| SR-150 | 1 |
| Ssr-1003 Buffaloe Shoals Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1005 Mcdonald Pkwy Ne | 1 |
| Ssr-1005 Startown Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Catawba County) |
|---|---|
| Rock Barn Rd Ne | 40 |
| Conover Blvd | 25 |
| Thornburg Dr Ne | 19 |
| 1St St | 15 |
| Startown Rd | 14 |
| 1St Ave Sw | 11 |
| 8Th St Dr Se | 11 |
| Mcdonald Pkwy Se | 11 |
Catawba County at a glance
| Population | 167,054 |
| Land area | 401.4 sq mi |
| Density | 416 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $68,846 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Catawba 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 | 68 | — | 3.5 |
| 2000s | 89 | +30% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 116 | +30% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 111 | -4% | 2.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 68 a year in the 1990s and 111 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Catawba County
ZIP codes in Catawba County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Catawba County
How many truck accidents are there in Catawba County?
Since 2015, 1,434 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Catawba County (844 injured, 27 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Catawba County?
The worst month is November: 9.1% of truck crashes in Catawba County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Catawba County?
Since 2015, Catawba County has reported 53 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.7% of its truck crashes.
How does Catawba County compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Catawba County has 73.7 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Catawba County?
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.