Cherokee, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cherokee: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cherokee and Jackson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Jackson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 263 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Jackson County compares with North Carolina
Jackson County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jackson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jackson County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.8 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 19% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 53% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.6% | 1.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.2% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.5% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 33.9% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 17% below the state |
| After dark | 14.9% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
Jackson County sits below North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
Jackson County at a glance: 16.5% share of truck crashes in rain, sleet or snow (North Carolina: 10.5%).
Overview
Police reported 263 crashes involving commercial trucks in Jackson County since 2015: 136 people were injured and 10 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 16 days in fully reported years.
Cherokee had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Jackson County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 12.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.7%.
November through March accounts for 33.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (9.5%).
Road surface: 1.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cherokee since 2015: US-23 (1), US-441 (1) and US-74 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.1% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Cherokee fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.2% of truck crashes here, more than North Carolina; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Jackson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-23 | 1 |
| US-441 | 1 |
| US-74 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jackson County) |
|---|---|
| Andy Shaw Ford | 1 |
| Blanton Branch Rd | 1 |
| Buckberry Dr South | 1 |
| Cedar Creek Club | 1 |
| Central Dr | 1 |
| Cope Creek | 1 |
| E Sylva Shopping Ctr | 1 |
| First Presbyt Church | 1 |
Cherokee at a glance
| Land area | 12.1 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28789) | $51,713 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28789) | $226,222 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jackson 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 | 5 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 19 | +248% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 23 | +20% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 20 | -14% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 20. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cherokee
How many truck crashes happen in Cherokee?
Since 2015, 263 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Jackson County (136 injured, 10 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Cherokee?
Truck crashes in Jackson County peak in August, with 12.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Cherokee?
Since 2015, Jackson County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Cherokee compare with North Carolina?
The yearly rate is 49.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Jackson County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cherokee?
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.