Nags Head, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Nags Head: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Nags Head and Dare County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dare County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 192 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dare County compares with North Carolina
Dare County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2023 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dare County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2023) | Dare County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 51.4 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 16% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.69 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 63% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 3.8% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 64% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 30.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 26% below the state |
| After dark | 10.2% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 50% below the state |
Dare County has lower values than North Carolina for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above North Carolina on garbage-truck share.
The headline for Dare County: July 16.1% of truck crashes happen in July, more than any other month.
Overview
Dare County has recorded 192 truck crashes since 2015, with 135 people injured and 5 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 19 days.
With 59 truck crashes reported in Nags Head since 2015, this page uses Dare County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 16.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 4.2%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 30.6% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 12.0% of truck crashes.
0.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Nags Head since 2015 were spread across roads: US-158 (2), US-64 (2) and SR-12 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 11 of the truck crashes here, or 5.7%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Route planning tips for Nags Head fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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.
Crash reporting for 2020, 2024 and 2025 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Dare County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-158 | 2 |
| US-64 | 2 |
| SR-12 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dare County) |
|---|---|
| Us 158 (N Croatan Hwy) | 7 |
| Croatan Hwy | 4 |
| Croatan Highway | 3 |
| Us 158 N Croatan Hwy | 3 |
| Duck Rd | 2 |
| Us 158 (S Croatan Hwy) | 2 |
| 11Th Ave | 1 |
| Airstrip Rd | 1 |
Nags Head at a glance
| Population | 3,106 |
| Land area | 6.6 sq mi |
| Density | 469 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 27954) | $80,587 |
| Median home value (ZIP 27954) | $415,079 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dare 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 | 6 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 13 | +98% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 18 | +40% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 17 | -8% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 6 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 17. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Nags Head
How many truck accidents are there in Nags Head?
Since 2015, 192 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dare County (135 injured, 5 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Nags Head?
July has the most truck crashes in Dare County, 16.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Nags Head?
11 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Dare County since 2015, 5.7% of all truck crashes.
How does Nags Head compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 51.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dare County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Nags Head?
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 2020, 2024 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.