High Shoals, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in High Shoals: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in High Shoals 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 |
Compared with North Carolina, Gaston County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in High Shoals: I-85 7 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of High Shoals.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,086 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Gaston County. They injured 1,440 people and killed 38.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Only 21 truck crashes were reported in High Shoals since 2015; patterns below come from Gaston County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 9.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 7.2%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.0% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.5% of truck crashes.
1.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-85 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). Next come US-321 (4), SR-73 (2) and Brownstone Ct (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
61 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.9% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in November (18%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.7 deaths compared with 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for High Shoals fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Gaston County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-85; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in November; review collection routes for that month.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Gaston County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 7 |
| US-321 | 4 |
| SR-73 | 2 |
| Brownstone Ct | 1 |
| N Chester St | 1 |
| SR-150 | 1 |
| SR-182 | 1 |
| SR-27 | 1 |
| SR-275 | 1 |
| SR-7 | 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 |
High Shoals at a glance
| Population | 626 |
| Land area | 2.6 sq mi |
| Density | 241 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28077) | $31,366 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 91 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 178. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 High Shoals
How common are truck crashes in High Shoals?
2,086 truck crashes have been reported in Gaston County since 2015, with 38 deaths and 1,440 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in High Shoals?
NHTSA data shows I-85 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of High Shoals since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in High Shoals?
March has the most truck crashes in Gaston County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in High Shoals?
61 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Gaston County since 2015, 2.9% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in High Shoals compared with North Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Gaston County has 73.6 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
How can I plan a safer truck route in High Shoals?
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.