Smithfield, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Smithfield: 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 of 234 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Smithfield compares with North Carolina
Smithfield against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Smithfield stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Smithfield | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 156.2 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 2.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.71 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 83% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 74% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 17.7% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 26% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.8% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 35% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.5% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.4% | 20.4% | 24.8% | same |
Smithfield has lower values than North Carolina for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Smithfield: 1 in 222 crashes involve a garbage truck (2 since 2015), vs 2.6% across North Carolina.
Overview
Police reported 234 crashes involving commercial trucks in Smithfield since 2015: 166 people were injured and 5 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 18 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
November has the most truck crashes, 12.4% of the yearly total, while January has the fewest (3.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.5% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (11.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.4% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Smithfield is I-95, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come US-70 (4), US-301 (2) and SR-39 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 0.9%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Route planning tips for Smithfield fleets
- Plan November schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Smithfield.
- Look at alternatives to I-95 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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 Smithfield
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 7 |
| US-70 | 4 |
| US-301 | 2 |
| SR-39 | 1 |
| SR-42 | 1 |
| Ssr-1003 Buffalo Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1010 Cleveland Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1555 Barber Mill Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1918 Barbour Rd | 1 |
| US-701 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Smithfield) |
|---|---|
| W Market St | 3 |
| N Brightleaf Blvd | 3 |
| E Market St | 2 |
| Citation Lane | 2 |
| Emarket St | 2 |
| S Fourth St | 1 |
| S Third St | 1 |
| S Third Street | 1 |
Smithfield at a glance
| Population | 12,806 |
| Land area | 12.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,008 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 27577) | $62,758 |
| Median home value (ZIP 27577) | $253,899 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Smithfield 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 | 14 | — | 5.1 |
| 2000s | 16 | +12% | 4.5 |
| 2010s | 15 | -6% | 2.6 |
| 2020s | 22 | +46% | 5.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 1990s and 22 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 4.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Smithfield
How common are truck crashes in Smithfield?
Smithfield has had 234 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 166 people and killing 5.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Smithfield?
Since 2015, I-95 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Smithfield: 7.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Smithfield?
The worst month is November: 12.4% of truck crashes in Smithfield happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Smithfield?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Smithfield since 2015, 0.9% of all truck crashes.
How does Smithfield compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Smithfield records 156.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Smithfield?
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.