Surfside Beach, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Surfside Beach: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Surfside Beach and Horry County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Horry County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Horry County compares with South Carolina
Horry County against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Horry County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Horry County | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 30.4 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 51% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.72 | 0.64 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.0% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 68% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.5% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 25% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.8% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 26% below the state |
Horry 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 runs above South Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Horry County: 1 in 25 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.0%, vs 2.1% in South Carolina.
Overview
Horry County has recorded 1,455 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,042 people injured and 62 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Surfside Beach had 95 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Horry County numbers.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 10.4% of the yearly total, while September has the fewest (6.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.2% of truck crashes, vs 40.5% for South Carolina.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 8.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.1% 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 Surfside Beach is US-17, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-501 (5), SR-707 (4) and CR-FARROW Parkway (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 55 crashes, 3.8% of the total, against 2.1% across South Carolina.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in February (15% of them).
They recorded 9.1 deaths per 100 crashes, against 4.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Surfside Beach fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-17; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in February; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 26.0% of truck crashes here, more than South Carolina; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Horry County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-17 | 6 |
| US-501 | 5 |
| SR-707 | 4 |
| CR-FARROW Parkway | 1 |
| SR-544 | 1 |
| SR-616 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Horry County) |
|---|---|
| US-501 | 23 |
| US-701 | 22 |
| US-17 | 17 |
| Carolina Forest Blvd | 13 |
| SR-90 | 13 |
| Sc 90 | 12 |
| US-378 | 12 |
| Robert Grissom Pkwy | 10 |
Surfside Beach at a glance
| Population | 4,368 |
| Land area | 1.9 sq mi |
| Density | 2,242 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Horry 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 | 122 | — | 4.2 |
| 2000s | 96 | -21% | 4.0 |
| 2010s | 106 | +10% | 3.4 |
| 2020s | 124 | +17% | 6.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 122 to 124. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 5.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Surfside Beach
How many truck crashes happen in Surfside Beach?
1,455 truck crashes have been reported in Horry County since 2015, with 62 deaths and 1,042 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Surfside Beach?
US-17 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Surfside Beach since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Surfside Beach?
The worst month is March: 10.4% of truck crashes in Horry County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Surfside Beach?
Garbage trucks were involved in 55 reported crashes in Horry County since 2015 (3.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Surfside Beach compared with South Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Horry County has 30.4 truck crashes a year; South Carolina has 61.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Surfside Beach?
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.