Brunswick, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Brunswick: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Brunswick and Columbus County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Columbus County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 6.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Columbus County compares with North Carolina
Columbus County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Columbus County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Columbus County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 105.3 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.2 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 2.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.87 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 90% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.9% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 34% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.5% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.5% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with North Carolina, Columbus County is lower on on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Columbus County: 6.2 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 2.5 across North Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 611 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Columbus County. They injured 526 people and killed 36.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 7 days.
Brunswick had 9 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Columbus County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in January (7.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.5% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
US-74 leads within 10 miles of Brunswick with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-410 (1) and Ssr-1004 Rough And Ready Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 26 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in February (23%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.5, vs 6.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Brunswick fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Columbus County.
- Where you can, review stops along US-74; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in February; review collection routes for that month.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Columbus County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-74 | 3 |
| SR-410 | 1 |
| Ssr-1004 Rough And Ready Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Columbus County) |
|---|---|
| International Paper | 7 |
| Love Mill Rd | 6 |
| Jk Powell Blvd | 5 |
| Joe Brown Hwy | 3 |
| N Brown St | 3 |
| N Jk Powell Blvd | 3 |
| Han-Dee Hugo | 2 |
| Hickman Rd | 2 |
Brunswick at a glance
| Population | 959 |
| Land area | 0.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,372 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28424) | $48,875 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Columbus 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 | 27 | — | 3.6 |
| 2000s | 35 | +30% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 52 | +49% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 47 | -11% | 2.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 27 to 47. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Brunswick
How common are truck crashes in Brunswick?
Columbus County has had 611 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 526 people and killing 36.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Brunswick?
NHTSA data shows US-74 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Brunswick since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Brunswick?
The worst month is July: 10.5% of truck crashes in Columbus County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Brunswick?
Garbage trucks were involved in 26 reported crashes in Columbus County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
How does Brunswick compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Columbus County has 105.3 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Brunswick?
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.