Silver Lake, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Silver Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Silver Lake 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. It runs above North Carolina on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in New Hanover County: 1 in 23 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.3%, vs 2.6% in North Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 924 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in New Hanover County. They injured 500 people and killed 19.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Silver Lake had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use New Hanover County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (10.2% of the year) and are lowest in February (6.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.9% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Silver Lake is US-74, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by Covil Ave (1), Morningside Dr (1) and S 17th St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
41 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.4% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Their busiest month is October, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.8, vs 1.9 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Silver Lake fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-74 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: October is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in New Hanover County.
- 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
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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2025, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
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 | 3 |
| Covil Ave | 1 |
| Morningside Dr | 1 |
| S 17th St | 1 |
| SR-133 | 1 |
| Ssr-1302 N 23rd St | 1 |
| Ssr-2048 Gordon Rd | 1 |
| US-17 | 1 |
| US-421 | 1 |
| US-76 | 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 |
Silver Lake at a glance
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28412) | $71,636 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28412) | $371,785 |
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. NHTSA counts 2.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Silver Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Silver Lake?
New Hanover County has had 924 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 500 people and killing 19.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Silver Lake?
NHTSA data shows US-74 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Silver Lake since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Silver Lake?
Truck crashes in New Hanover County peak in March, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Silver Lake?
Since 2015, New Hanover County has reported 41 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.4% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Silver Lake compare with North Carolina?
The yearly rate is 34.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in New Hanover County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Silver Lake?
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.