Forest City, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Forest City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Forest City and Rutherford County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Rutherford County numbers.
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 stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes.
The headline for Rutherford County: 1 in 143 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.7%, against 2.6% for 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.
Only 89 truck crashes were reported in Forest City since 2015; patterns below come from Rutherford County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (13.3% of the year) and are lowest in February (4.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 37.3% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 10.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 1.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Forest City 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 Forest City fleets
- Build extra time into September 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 Rutherford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Forest City at a glance
| Population | 7,397 |
| Land area | 8.6 sq mi |
| Density | 861 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28043) | $42,276 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28043) | $169,504 |
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. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Forest City
How many truck crashes happen in Forest City?
309 truck crashes have been reported in Rutherford County since 2015, with 9 deaths and 180 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Forest City?
September has the most truck crashes in Rutherford County, 13.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Forest City?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Rutherford County since 2015, 0.6% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Forest City compare with North Carolina?
The yearly rate is 39.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Rutherford County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Forest City?
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.