Durham County, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Durham 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 1.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Durham County compares with North Carolina
Durham County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Durham County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Durham County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 48.4 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 21% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 48% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.8% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.7% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.5% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.1% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 11% below the state |
Durham County has lower values than North Carolina for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It runs above North Carolina on on snow, slush or ice.
Durham County at a glance: 2.4% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Overview
Police reported 1,952 crashes involving commercial trucks in Durham County since 2015: 1,244 people were injured and 23 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.5% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.1%).
2.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck in Durham County happened on I-85 (3), US-70 (3), I-40 (2), SR-147 (2) and US-501 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
50 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.6% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (16%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 1.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Durham County fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- With 2.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above North Carolina), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Durham County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Durham County) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 3 |
| US-70 | 3 |
| I-40 | 2 |
| SR-147 | 2 |
| US-501 | 2 |
| North Miami Blvd | 1 |
| Renaissance Pkwy | 1 |
| SR-157 | 1 |
| SR-55 | 1 |
| Ssr-1004 Old Oxford Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Durham County) |
|---|---|
| S Miami Blvd | 49 |
| N Roxboro St | 34 |
| Holloway St | 22 |
| S Roxboro St | 19 |
| N Duke St | 19 |
| Angier Ave | 19 |
| Tw Alexander Dr | 18 |
| Erwin Rd | 15 |
Durham County at a glance
| Population | 343,628 |
| Land area | 287.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,195 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $83,058 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Durham 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 | 75 | — | 3.4 |
| 2000s | 102 | +36% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 143 | +39% | 2.1 |
| 2020s | 158 | +11% | 2.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 75 to 158. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Durham County
ZIP codes in Durham County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Durham County
How many truck accidents are there in Durham County?
Durham County has had 1,952 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,244 people and killing 23.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Durham County?
July has the most truck crashes in Durham County, 9.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Durham County?
Since 2015, Durham County has reported 50 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.6% of its truck crashes.
How does Durham County compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Durham County has 48.4 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Durham County?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.