Light Oak, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Light Oak: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Light Oak and Cleveland County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cleveland County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
16 of 962 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cleveland County compares with North Carolina
Cleveland County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cleveland County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cleveland County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 79.9 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.70 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 35% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.1% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.7% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.4% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.1% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Cleveland County has lower values than North Carolina for garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Light Oak: I-85 8 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Light Oak.
Overview
Cleveland County has recorded 962 truck crashes since 2015, with 679 people injured and 27 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Light Oak since 2015; patterns below come from Cleveland County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.4% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-85 leads within 10 miles of Light Oak with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: US-74 (4), SR-198 (2) and Dixon Blvd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 16 crashes, 1.7% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Route planning tips for Light Oak fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-85, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- With 2.1% 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
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 Cleveland County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 8 |
| US-74 | 4 |
| SR-198 | 2 |
| Dixon Blvd | 1 |
| SR-180 | 1 |
| SR-182 | 1 |
| SR-216 | 1 |
| Ssr-2238 Long Branch Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-2292 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cleveland County) |
|---|---|
| E Dixon Blvd | 65 |
| W Dixon Blvd | 31 |
| S Dekalb St | 10 |
| E Dixon Bvd | 9 |
| E Marion St | 9 |
| N Post Rd | 8 |
| Fallston Rd | 5 |
| Cherryville Rd | 4 |
Light Oak at a glance
| Land area | 1.4 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cleveland 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 | 53 | — | 2.0 |
| 2000s | 53 | -1% | 1.6 |
| 2010s | 77 | +47% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 74 | -4% | 3.0 |
In the 1990s about 53 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 74. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Light Oak
How common are truck crashes in Light Oak?
Since 2015, 962 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Cleveland County (679 injured, 27 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Light Oak?
Since 2015, I-85 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Light Oak: 8.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Light Oak?
Truck crashes in Cleveland County peak in August, with 10.7% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Light Oak?
16 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cleveland County since 2015, 1.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Light Oak compared with North Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Cleveland County has 79.9 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Light Oak?
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.