Winston-Salem, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Winston-Salem: 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
1.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Winston-Salem compares with North Carolina
Winston-Salem against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Winston-Salem stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 60.0 | 61.3 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.67 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.8% | 1.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.5% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.3% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.7% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 13% below the state |
Winston-Salem has lower values than North Carolina for deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It runs above North Carolina on garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Winston-Salem: 1 in 24 crashes involve a garbage truck (70 since 2015), vs 2.6% across North Carolina.
Overview
Winston-Salem has recorded 1,755 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,157 people injured and 26 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.6% of the yearly total, while September has the fewest (7.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.3% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 8.2% of truck crashes.
1.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Winston-Salem since 2015: US-158 (7), US-52 (7), I-40 (5), SR-109 (3) and I-285 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
70 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.0% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in October (16%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.4 deaths compared with 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Winston-Salem fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at October schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Winston-Salem
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-158 | 7 |
| US-52 | 7 |
| I-40 | 5 |
| SR-109 | 3 |
| I-285 | 2 |
| I-74 | 2 |
| Reidsville Rd | 2 |
| SR-150 | 2 |
| SR-65 | 2 |
| SR-67 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Winston-Salem) |
|---|---|
| Reidsville Rd | 16 |
| Silas Creek Pkwy | 16 |
| S Stratford Rd | 16 |
| Stratford Rd | 13 |
| Reynolda Rd | 12 |
| Liberty St | 12 |
| Country Club Rd | 12 |
| Polo Rd | 11 |
Winston-Salem at a glance
| Population | 255,769 |
| Land area | 133.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,913 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Winston-Salem 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 | 59 | — | 3.1 |
| 2000s | 101 | +70% | 4.3 |
| 2010s | 148 | +47% | 3.9 |
| 2020s | 137 | -7% | 3.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 59 to 137. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 5.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Winston-Salem
How common are truck crashes in Winston-Salem?
Since 2015, 1,755 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Winston-Salem (1,157 injured, 26 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Winston-Salem?
Truck crashes in Winston-Salem peak in August, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Winston-Salem?
Garbage trucks were involved in 70 reported crashes in Winston-Salem since 2015 (4.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Winston-Salem compare with North Carolina?
Winston-Salem records 60.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Winston-Salem?
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.