St. Stephens, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in St. Stephens: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in St. Stephens and Catawba County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Catawba County numbers.
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. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in St. Stephens: I-40 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of St. Stephens since 2015.
Overview
Catawba County has recorded 1,434 truck crashes since 2015, with 844 people injured and 27 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in St. Stephens since 2015, this page uses Catawba County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is November with 9.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 7.5%.
November through March accounts for 42.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 8.0% of truck crashes.
1.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
I-40 leads within 10 miles of St. Stephens with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-1400 (2), US-321 (2) and 9th Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 53 crashes, 3.7% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in July (13%).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for St. Stephens fleets
- Plan November schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Catawba County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-40; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in July; review collection routes for that month.
- With 1.9% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above North Carolina), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Catawba County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 4 |
| SR-1400 | 2 |
| US-321 | 2 |
| 9th Ave | 1 |
| SR-10 | 1 |
| SR-127 | 1 |
| SR-16 | 1 |
| Ssr-1005 Mcdonald Pkwy Ne | 1 |
| Ssr-1005 Startown Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1128 Barrett Mountain 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 |
St. Stephens at a glance
| Land area | 9.1 sq mi |
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 |
In the 1990s about 68 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 111. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about St. Stephens
How many truck accidents are there in St. Stephens?
Catawba County has had 1,434 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 844 people and killing 27.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in St. Stephens?
I-40 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of St. Stephens since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in St. Stephens?
The worst month is November: 9.1% of truck crashes in Catawba County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in St. Stephens?
53 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Catawba County since 2015, 3.7% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in St. Stephens compare with North Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Catawba County has 73.7 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in St. Stephens?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.