Durham, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Durham: 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 1.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Durham compares with North Carolina
Durham against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Durham stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Durham | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 54.7 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 11% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.1 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 56% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.3% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.9% | 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 |
Compared with North Carolina, Durham is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It stands out for higher on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Durham: I-85 deadliest road: 8 fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Durham since 2015.
Overview
Durham has recorded 1,940 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,240 people injured and 20 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.2%).
November through March accounts for 41.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.1% of truck crashes.
2.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Durham is I-85, with 8 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-40 (6), US-70 (5) and I-540 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
49 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Their busiest month is August, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 1.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Durham fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Durham.
- Check whether your routes use I-85, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 2.3% of truck crashes here, more than North Carolina; schedule winter checks early.
- 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Durham
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 8 |
| I-40 | 6 |
| US-70 | 5 |
| I-540 | 2 |
| SR-147 | 2 |
| US-501 | 2 |
| Laurel Mountain Rd | 1 |
| None | 1 |
| North Miami Blvd | 1 |
| Ns-96051 Cornerstone Dr | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Durham) |
|---|---|
| S Miami Blvd | 49 |
| N Roxboro St | 34 |
| Holloway St | 22 |
| N Duke St | 19 |
| S Roxboro St | 19 |
| Angier Ave | 19 |
| Tw Alexander Dr | 18 |
| Erwin Rd | 15 |
Durham at a glance
| Population | 301,870 |
| Land area | 118.8 sq mi |
| Density | 2,540 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Durham 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 | 71 | — | 3.4 |
| 2000s | 102 | +43% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 142 | +39% | 2.1 |
| 2020s | 157 | +11% | 2.0 |
In the 1990s about 71 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 157. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Durham
How common are truck crashes in Durham?
1,940 truck crashes have been reported in Durham since 2015, with 20 deaths and 1,240 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Durham?
NHTSA data shows I-85 with 8 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Durham since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Durham?
July has the most truck crashes in Durham, 9.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Durham?
49 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Durham since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Durham compared with North Carolina?
Durham records 54.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Durham?
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.