Hightsville, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hightsville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hightsville and New Hanover County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use New Hanover County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How New Hanover County compares with North Carolina
New Hanover County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where New Hanover County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | New Hanover County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.4 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 44% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 18% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.3% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 79% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.6% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 11.3% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 44% below the state |
New Hanover County sits below North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in New Hanover County: 1 in 23 crashes involve a garbage truck (41 since 2015), vs 2.6% across North Carolina.
Overview
Police reported 924 crashes involving commercial trucks in New Hanover County since 2015: 500 people were injured and 19 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Hightsville since 2015, this page uses New Hanover County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 10.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 6.5%.
November through March accounts for 40.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.4% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
US-74 leads within 10 miles of Hightsville with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: US-421 (3), Ssr-1336 Sidbury Rd (2) and US-17 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 41 crashes, 4.4% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in October (12%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.8, vs 1.9 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Hightsville fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-74, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in October; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 25.9% of truck crashes here, more than North Carolina; adjust start times where you can.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Crash reporting for 2025 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in New Hanover County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-74 | 4 |
| US-421 | 3 |
| Ssr-1336 Sidbury Rd | 2 |
| US-17 | 2 |
| Covil Ave | 1 |
| I-40 | 1 |
| Morningside Dr | 1 |
| S 17th St | 1 |
| SR-133 | 1 |
| SR-87 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (New Hanover County) |
|---|---|
| Market St | 54 |
| Carolina Beach Rd | 54 |
| S College Rd | 33 |
| S 17Th St | 17 |
| Oleander Dr | 14 |
| Shipyard Blvd | 13 |
| Eastwood Rd | 12 |
| Martin Luther King Jr | 12 |
Hightsville at a glance
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in New Hanover 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 | 50 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 62 | +23% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 84 | +37% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 71 | -16% | 2.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 50 to 71. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.0 a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hightsville
How many truck accidents are there in Hightsville?
924 truck crashes have been reported in New Hanover County since 2015, with 19 deaths and 500 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Hightsville?
Since 2015, US-74 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Hightsville: 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Hightsville?
Truck crashes in New Hanover County peak in March, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Hightsville?
Garbage trucks were involved in 41 reported crashes in New Hanover County since 2015 (4.4% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Hightsville compared with North Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, New Hanover County has 34.4 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Hightsville?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.