Bluffton, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bluffton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bluffton and Beaufort County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Beaufort County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Beaufort County compares with South Carolina
Beaufort County against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Beaufort County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Beaufort County | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 21.9 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 64% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 21% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.76 | 0.64 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.2% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 0.4% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.7% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.8% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 40% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.0% | 40.5% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 11.8% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 45% below the state |
Beaufort County sits below South Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Beaufort County at a glance: 1 in 16 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 6.2%, vs 2.1% in South Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 499 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Beaufort County. They injured 372 people and killed 16.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 8 days.
With 180 truck crashes reported in Bluffton since 2015, this page uses Beaufort County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 10.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.0% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across South Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (10.0%).
0.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.4% across South Carolina.
Where crashes happen
US-17 leads within 10 miles of Bluffton with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-278 (2), Buckwalter Pkwy (1) and I-95 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 30 of the truck crashes here, or 6.0%, compared with 2.1% in South Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (17%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 3.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Bluffton fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-17, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Beaufort County.
- Morning starts matter: 28.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than South Carolina.
- 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 Beaufort County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-17 | 8 |
| US-278 | 2 |
| Buckwalter Pkwy | 1 |
| I-95 | 1 |
| SR-170 | 1 |
| SR-315 | 1 |
| SR-46 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Beaufort County) |
|---|---|
| Okatie Hwy | 26 |
| Fording Island Rd | 16 |
| Trask Pkwy | 15 |
| Sea Island Pkwy | 10 |
| Bluffton Pkwy | 8 |
| Charleston Hwy | 7 |
| Robert Smalls Pkwy | 5 |
| Bluffton Parkway | 4 |
Bluffton at a glance
| Population | 36,146 |
| Land area | 52.1 sq mi |
| Density | 693 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 29910) | $98,912 |
| Median home value (ZIP 29910) | $491,092 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Beaufort 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 | 47 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 43 | -9% | 1.6 |
| 2010s | 34 | -20% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 48 | +40% | 1.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 47 to 48. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bluffton
How many truck crashes happen in Bluffton?
499 truck crashes have been reported in Beaufort County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 372 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Bluffton?
NHTSA data shows US-17 with 8 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Bluffton since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Bluffton?
The worst month is March: 10.6% of truck crashes in Beaufort County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Bluffton?
30 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Beaufort County since 2015, 6.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Bluffton compared with South Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Beaufort County has 21.9 truck crashes a year; South Carolina has 61.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Bluffton?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.