Salem, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Salem and Oconee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Oconee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 424 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Oconee County compares with South Carolina
Oconee County against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Oconee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Oconee County | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 42.1 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 32% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.8 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.64 | 0.49 | 16% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.3% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 39% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.9% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.8% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Oconee County sits below South Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Oconee County: 0.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 0.4% in South Carolina.
Overview
Oconee County has recorded 424 truck crashes since 2015, with 221 people injured and 28 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 11 days in fully reported years.
Only 39 truck crashes were reported in Salem since 2015; patterns below come from Oconee County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.6% of the year) and are lowest in February (5.0%).
November through March accounts for 40.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.5% in South Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (9.7%).
Road surface: 0.0% 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 Salem is SR-130, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-11 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 1.2% of the total, against 2.1% across South Carolina.
Route planning tips for Salem fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-130, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 Oconee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-130 | 3 |
| SR-11 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Oconee County) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 25 |
| Clemson Blvd | 14 |
| Sc 11 | 12 |
| Wells Hwy | 10 |
| Whitewater Falls Rd | 7 |
| 1Sb | 6 |
| West Oak Hwy | 5 |
| US-76 | 5 |
Salem at a glance
| Population | 127 |
| Land area | 0.9 sq mi |
| Density | 139 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 29676) | $92,798 |
| Median home value (ZIP 29676) | $441,109 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Oconee 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 | 28 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 30 | +6% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 28 | -5% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 35 | +23% | 2.6 |
In the 1990s about 28 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 35. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Salem
How common are truck crashes in Salem?
424 truck crashes have been reported in Oconee County since 2015, with 28 deaths and 221 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Salem?
NHTSA data shows SR-130 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Salem since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Salem?
Truck crashes in Oconee County peak in January, with 11.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Salem?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Oconee County since 2015, 1.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Salem compare with South Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Oconee County has 42.1 truck crashes a year; South Carolina has 61.6.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Salem?
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.