Elko, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elko: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elko and Barnwell County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Barnwell County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 91 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Barnwell County compares with South Carolina
Barnwell County against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Barnwell County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Barnwell County | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 39.5 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 36% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.79 | 0.64 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.5% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.6% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 51% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.2% | 21.5% | 24.8% | same |
Barnwell County has lower values than South Carolina for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Barnwell County: 1 in 22 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.5%, vs 2.1% in South Carolina.
Overview
Barnwell County has recorded 91 truck crashes since 2015, with 70 people injured and 5 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 45 days.
Only 4 truck crashes were reported in Elko since 2015; patterns below come from Barnwell County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 14.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 4.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.3% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across South Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (11.0%).
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.4% across South Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elko since 2015 were spread across roads: US-278 (2), SR-3 (1) and SR-781 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
4 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.4% share (South Carolina: 2.1%).
Route planning tips for Elko fleets
- Build extra time into August 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
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Barnwell County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-278 | 2 |
| SR-3 | 1 |
| SR-781 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Barnwell County) |
|---|---|
| SR-278 | 7 |
| US-278 | 7 |
| SR-3 | 3 |
| SR-78 | 3 |
| Gardenia Rd | 2 |
| Main St | 2 |
| Poplar Rd | 2 |
| SR-39 | 2 |
Elko at a glance
| Population | 140 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 133 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Barnwell 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 | 12 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 7 | -45% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 7 | +3% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 10 | +43% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12 to 10. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elko
How common are truck crashes in Elko?
91 truck crashes have been reported in Barnwell County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 70 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Elko?
August has the most truck crashes in Barnwell County, 14.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Elko?
Since 2015, Barnwell County has reported 4 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Elko compared with South Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Barnwell County has 39.5 truck crashes a year; South Carolina has 61.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Elko?
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.