Central, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Central: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Central and Pickens County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pickens County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 270 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pickens County compares with South Carolina
Pickens County against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pickens County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pickens County | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 16.2 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 74% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.3 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.64 | 0.49 | 20% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.5% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.7% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 11.3% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 47% below the state |
Pickens County sits below South Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Pickens County at a glance: 7.3 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.9 in South Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 270 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Pickens County. They injured 132 people and killed 18.
That averages about one truck crash every 16 days in fully reported years.
Central had 13 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Pickens County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (10.4% of the year) and are lowest in November (5.6%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.9% of truck crashes, vs 40.5% for South Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (10.0%).
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 Central is US-123, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by US-76 (2), SR-130 (1) and SR-395 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 2.6%, compared with 2.1% in South Carolina.
Route planning tips for Central fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-123 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 27.5% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above South Carolina; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Pickens County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-123 | 3 |
| US-76 | 2 |
| SR-130 | 1 |
| SR-395 | 1 |
| SR-88 | 1 |
| SR-93 | 1 |
| US-178 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pickens County) |
|---|---|
| US-123 | 8 |
| Farrs Bridge Rd | 8 |
| Walhalla Hwy | 7 |
| Calhoun Mem Hwy | 6 |
| Old Liberty Rd | 5 |
| Moorefield Mem Hwy | 5 |
| Liberty Hwy | 4 |
| Pine Grove Church Rd | 4 |
Central at a glance
| Population | 5,339 |
| Land area | 3.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,641 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 29630) | $55,264 |
| Median home value (ZIP 29630) | $240,958 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pickens 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 | 38 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 24 | -37% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 21 | -11% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 23 | +7% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 38 to 23. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Central
How many truck accidents are there in Central?
Since 2015, 270 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pickens County (132 injured, 18 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Central?
NHTSA data shows US-123 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Central since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Central?
December has the most truck crashes in Pickens County, 10.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Central?
7 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Pickens County since 2015, 2.6% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Central compared with South Carolina?
Pickens County records 16.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.6 across South Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Central?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.