Balfour, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Balfour: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Balfour and Henderson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Henderson County numbers.
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 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Henderson County compares with North Carolina
Henderson County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Henderson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Henderson County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 60.9 | 61.3 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 20% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.8% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.1% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.4% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 20.4% | 20.4% | 24.8% | same |
Henderson County sits below North Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Balfour: I-26 5 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Balfour.
Overview
Since 2015, 858 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Henderson County. They injured 474 people and killed 16.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Balfour since 2015, this page uses Henderson County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (12.4% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 37.6% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (9.4%).
Road surface: 1.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-26 leads within 10 miles of Balfour with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: US-25 (3), SR-191 (1) and SR-280 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
24 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.8% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (25% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Balfour fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-26 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 1.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above North Carolina; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Henderson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-26 | 5 |
| US-25 | 3 |
| SR-191 | 1 |
| SR-280 | 1 |
| Shadywood Ln | 1 |
| Ssr-1006 Howard Gap Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1380 | 1 |
| Ssr-1756 S Allen Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1793 Tracy Grove Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-3116 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Henderson County) |
|---|---|
| Mills Gap Road | 6 |
| Cane Creek Rd | 5 |
| Spartanburg Hwy | 4 |
| Mills Gap Rd | 3 |
| Underwood Rd | 3 |
| 7Th Ave | 2 |
| Asheville Highway | 2 |
| Cane Creek Industr | 2 |
Balfour at a glance
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28791) | $78,827 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28791) | $368,054 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Henderson 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 | 28 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 48 | +70% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 59 | +22% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 77 | +31% | 1.8 |
In the 1990s about 28 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 77. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Balfour
How common are truck crashes in Balfour?
858 truck crashes have been reported in Henderson County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 474 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Balfour?
NHTSA data shows I-26 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Balfour since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Balfour?
October has the most truck crashes in Henderson County, 12.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Balfour?
Since 2015, Henderson County has reported 24 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.8% of its truck crashes.
How does Balfour compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Henderson County records 60.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Balfour?
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.