Rutherford County, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rutherford County: 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 309 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Rutherford County compares with North Carolina
Rutherford County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rutherford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rutherford County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 39.4 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 36% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.8 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.58 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.7% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 73% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 18% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.2% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.3% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 17.2% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Compared with North Carolina, Rutherford County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above North Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes.
Rutherford County at a glance: 1 in 143 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.7%, vs 2.6% in North Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 309 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Rutherford County. They injured 180 people and killed 9.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 14 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 13.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 4.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 37.3% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (10.4%).
1.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck in Rutherford County happened on US-221 (2), US-64 (2), US-74 (2), Ssr-1510 Hudlow Rd (1) and US-74A (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.6% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Route planning tips for Rutherford County fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Rutherford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Rutherford County) |
|---|---|
| US-221 | 2 |
| US-64 | 2 |
| US-74 | 2 |
| Ssr-1510 Hudlow Rd | 1 |
| US-74A | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rutherford County) |
|---|---|
| College Ave | 6 |
| Railroad Ave | 5 |
| College Avenue | 5 |
| S Broadway St | 4 |
| W Main St | 3 |
| Withrow Rd | 3 |
| Buffalo Creek Rd | 2 |
| Charlotte Rd | 2 |
Rutherford County at a glance
| Population | 65,587 |
| Land area | 565.4 sq mi |
| Density | 116 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $51,313 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Rutherford 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 | 18 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 26 | +44% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 28 | +5% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 24 | -14% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 18 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 24. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Rutherford County
ZIP codes in Rutherford County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Rutherford County
How many truck crashes happen in Rutherford County?
Since 2015, 309 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Rutherford County (180 injured, 9 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Rutherford County?
September has the most truck crashes in Rutherford County, 13.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Rutherford County?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Rutherford County since 2015, 0.6% of all truck crashes.
How does Rutherford County compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Rutherford County records 39.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Rutherford County?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.