Topsail Beach, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Topsail Beach: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Topsail Beach and Pender County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pender County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 535 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pender County compares with North Carolina
Pender County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pender County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | Pender County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 68.5 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.2 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.74 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 19% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.8% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 52% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.1% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.3% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Pender County sits below North Carolina on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Pender County: 4.2 people killed per 100 truck crashes (North Carolina: 2.5).
Overview
Since 2015, 535 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Pender County. They injured 392 people and killed 23.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
With 1 truck crash reported in Topsail Beach since 2015, this page uses Pender County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 7.1%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.0% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 10.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.8% 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 Topsail Beach since 2015: Ssr-1336 Sidbury Rd (2), SR-210 (1) and US-17 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 11 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Route planning tips for Topsail Beach fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most 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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2025; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Pender County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Ssr-1336 Sidbury Rd | 2 |
| SR-210 | 1 |
| US-17 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pender County) |
|---|---|
| Nc Hwy 53 | 3 |
| Private Property | 3 |
| Alderman St | 2 |
| E Bridgers St | 2 |
| Phoenix Travel Mart | 2 |
| W Wilmington St | 2 |
| Berkshire Dr. | 1 |
| Coastal Car Care Pva | 1 |
Topsail Beach at a glance
| Population | 500 |
| Land area | 4.4 sq mi |
| Density | 114 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28443) | $90,477 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28443) | $387,751 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pender 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 | 27 | — | 2.1 |
| 2000s | 29 | +8% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 43 | +47% | 1.6 |
| 2020s | 43 | +0% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 27 to 43. 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 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Topsail Beach
How common are truck crashes in Topsail Beach?
535 truck crashes have been reported in Pender County since 2015, with 23 deaths and 392 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Topsail Beach?
The worst month is August: 10.1% of truck crashes in Pender County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Topsail Beach?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Pender County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Topsail Beach compare with North Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Pender County has 68.5 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Topsail Beach?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
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.