Lake City, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake City and Florence County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Florence County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Florence County compares with South Carolina
Florence County against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Florence County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Florence County | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 76.5 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.8 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.67 | 0.64 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 20% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.3% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 41% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 9% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.9% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.5% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.3% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Florence County sits below South Carolina on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow.
Lake City at a glance: US-52 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake City since 2015.
Overview
Florence County has recorded 1,225 truck crashes since 2015, with 800 people injured and 68 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Lake City had 58 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Florence County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (9.6% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.5% of truck crashes, vs 40.5% for South Carolina.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Carolina: 0.4%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Lake City is US-52, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by US-378 (3), SR-28 (1) and SR-403 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 20 of the truck crashes here, or 1.6%, compared with 2.1% in South Carolina.
Their busiest month is March, with 15% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 5.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 5.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Lake City fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Florence County.
- Look at alternatives to US-52 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Florence County.
- 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 Florence County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-52 | 4 |
| US-378 | 3 |
| SR-28 | 1 |
| SR-403 | 1 |
| SR-461 | 1 |
| Ssr-159 Dewey Cox Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Florence County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 126 |
| Paper Mill Road | 25 |
| N Williston Rd | 24 |
| E Palmetto St | 17 |
| N Cashua Dr | 12 |
| S Irby St | 12 |
| S Church St | 11 |
| E Old Marion Hwy | 10 |
Lake City at a glance
| Population | 5,916 |
| Land area | 5.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,087 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 29560) | $46,601 |
| Median home value (ZIP 29560) | $130,618 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Florence 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 | 101 | — | 3.9 |
| 2000s | 103 | +2% | 4.2 |
| 2010s | 104 | +0% | 3.1 |
| 2020s | 100 | -3% | 5.0 |
In the 1990s about 101 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 100. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 3.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake City
How common are truck crashes in Lake City?
Florence County has had 1,225 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 800 people and killing 68.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Lake City?
NHTSA data shows US-52 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake City since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake City?
The worst month is August: 9.6% of truck crashes in Florence County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Lake City?
Garbage trucks were involved in 20 reported crashes in Florence County since 2015 (1.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Lake City compared with South Carolina?
Florence County records 76.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.6 across South Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lake City?
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.