Highlands, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Highlands: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Highlands and Macon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Macon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 202 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Macon County compares with North Carolina
Macon County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Macon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Macon County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 43.9 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 28% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.60 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 17% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.1% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 9% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.4% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 32.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 21% below the state |
| After dark | 8.6% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 58% below the state |
Macon 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 and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Macon County: 8.6% of truck crashes happen after dark, vs 20.4% in North Carolina.
Overview
Macon County has recorded 202 truck crashes since 2015, with 121 people injured and 5 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 21 days.
Only 28 truck crashes were reported in Highlands since 2015; patterns below come from Macon County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (11.9% of the year) and are lowest in November (4.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 32.6% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 10.4% of truck crashes.
1.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Highlands since 2015: US-64 (2) and Ssr-1107 Whiteside Cove Rd (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
4 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.0% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Highlands fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Macon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-64 | 2 |
| Ssr-1107 Whiteside Cove Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Macon County) |
|---|---|
| Highlands Rd | 3 |
| Sylva Rd | 3 |
| East Main St | 2 |
| East Main Street | 2 |
| Highlands Road | 2 |
| Big Bear Lane | 1 |
| Bilo'S Pva | 1 |
| Circle Trce | 1 |
Highlands at a glance
| Population | 1,119 |
| Land area | 6.2 sq mi |
| Density | 179 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28741) | $70,392 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28741) | $629,512 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Macon 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 | 4 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 12 | +172% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 16 | +39% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 17 | +4% | 0.2 |
In the 1990s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 17. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Highlands
How common are truck crashes in Highlands?
Macon County has had 202 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 121 people and killing 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Highlands?
The worst month is July: 11.9% of truck crashes in Macon County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Highlands?
4 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Macon County since 2015, 2.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Highlands compared with North Carolina?
The yearly rate is 43.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Macon County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Highlands?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.