Bessemer City, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bessemer City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bessemer City and Gaston County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Gaston County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Gaston County compares with North Carolina
Gaston County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gaston County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gaston County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.6 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 28% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.70 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.1% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.3% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.8% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Gaston County has lower values than North Carolina for deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Bessemer City: I-85 11 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Bessemer City.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,086 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Gaston County. They injured 1,440 people and killed 38.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 96 truck crashes were reported in Bessemer City since 2015; patterns below come from Gaston County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (9.4% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.0% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.5% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.1% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-85 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (11). It is followed by US-321 (3), US-74 (3) and Brownstone Ct (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
61 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.9% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in November (18% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.7 deaths compared with 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Bessemer City fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-85 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in November; 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
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 Gaston County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 11 |
| US-321 | 3 |
| US-74 | 3 |
| Brownstone Ct | 1 |
| N Chester St | 1 |
| SR-216 | 1 |
| SR-274 | 1 |
| SR-279 | 1 |
| SR-7 | 1 |
| Ssr-1109 Ferguson Ridge Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gaston County) |
|---|---|
| N Chester St | 60 |
| E Franklin Blvd | 34 |
| W Franklin Blvd | 16 |
| S York Rd | 16 |
| Bessemer City Rd | 16 |
| Gastonia Dallas Hwy | 16 |
| N New Hope Rd | 15 |
| S New Hope Rd | 15 |
Bessemer City at a glance
| Population | 5,730 |
| Land area | 5.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,007 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28016) | $57,147 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28016) | $220,151 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gaston 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 | 91 | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 118 | +30% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 151 | +28% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 178 | +18% | 3.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 91 to 178. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 3.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bessemer City
How common are truck crashes in Bessemer City?
Gaston County has had 2,086 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,440 people and killing 38.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Bessemer City?
I-85 had 11 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Bessemer City since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Bessemer City?
The worst month is March: 9.4% of truck crashes in Gaston County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Bessemer City?
61 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Gaston County since 2015, 2.9% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Bessemer City compare with North Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Gaston County has 73.6 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Bessemer City?
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.