Gastonia, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Gastonia: 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
2.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Gastonia compares with North Carolina
Gastonia against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gastonia stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gastonia | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 100.5 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 36% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.67 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 20% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.4% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.1% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.5% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Gastonia has lower values than North Carolina for deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Gastonia: I-85 13 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Gastonia.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,014 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Gastonia. They injured 681 people and killed 18.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 6.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.6% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.4% 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 (13). After it: US-321 (2), US-74 (2) and Brownstone Ct (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 36 of the truck crashes here, or 3.6%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Their busiest month is November, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 2.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Gastonia fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-85 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Gastonia
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 13 |
| US-321 | 2 |
| US-74 | 2 |
| Brownstone Ct | 1 |
| N Chester St | 1 |
| SR-216 | 1 |
| SR-273 | 1 |
| SR-274 | 1 |
| SR-275 | 1 |
| SR-279 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gastonia) |
|---|---|
| N Chester St | 60 |
| E Franklin Blvd | 34 |
| Bessemer City Rd | 16 |
| S York Rd | 16 |
| W Franklin Blvd | 16 |
| Gastonia Dallas Hwy | 16 |
| S New Hope Rd | 15 |
| N New Hope Rd | 15 |
Gastonia at a glance
| Population | 85,535 |
| Land area | 53.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,592 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28054) | $61,035 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28054) | $244,708 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gastonia 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 | 58 | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 70 | +21% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 79 | +13% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 85 | +7% | 3.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 58 to 85. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.8 a year in 2016–19, 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Gastonia
How common are truck crashes in Gastonia?
Since 2015, 1,014 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Gastonia (681 injured, 18 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Gastonia?
Since 2015, I-85 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Gastonia: 13.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Gastonia?
August has the most truck crashes in Gastonia, 10.0% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Gastonia?
Since 2015, Gastonia has reported 36 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.6% of its truck crashes.
How does Gastonia compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 100.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Gastonia, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Gastonia?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.