Columbia, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Columbia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.6 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Columbia compares with South Carolina
Columbia against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Columbia stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Columbia | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 125.3 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.68 | 0.64 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 66% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.2% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.6% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.0% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 7% below the state |
Columbia sits below South Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and after dark. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Columbia: March more garbage-truck crashes happen in March than in any other month (17%).
Overview
Columbia has recorded 2,099 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,406 people injured and 52 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in May (10.0% of the year) and are lowest in December (6.7%).
November through March accounts for 39.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.5% in South Carolina.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Carolina: 0.4%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 15 miles of Columbia happened on I-20 (11), I-77 (11), I-26 (5), SR-48 (5) and US-1 (4); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 63 crashes, 3.0% of the total, against 2.1% across South Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (17%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.6 deaths compared with 2.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Columbia fleets
- Plan May schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Columbia.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Columbia.
- 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 Columbia
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-20 | 11 |
| I-77 | 11 |
| I-26 | 5 |
| SR-48 | 5 |
| US-1 | 4 |
| US-21 | 4 |
| SR-72 | 3 |
| US-321 | 3 |
| SR-555 | 2 |
| SR-602 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Columbia) |
|---|---|
| I-20 | 308 |
| I-77 | 244 |
| I-26 | 93 |
| Two Notch Rd | 29 |
| Garners Ferry Rd | 28 |
| Shop Rd | 25 |
| Bluff Rd | 23 |
| Clemson Rd | 19 |
Columbia at a glance
| Population | 144,788 |
| Land area | 138.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,045 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Columbia 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 | — | — | 4.6 |
| 2000s | 3 | — | 3.7 |
| 2010s | 134 | +4682% | 4.2 |
| 2020s | 187 | +39% | 6.0 |
In the 2000s about 3 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 187. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 4.2 a year in 2016–19, 6.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Columbia
How many truck accidents are there in Columbia?
Columbia has had 2,099 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,406 people and killing 52.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Columbia?
Truck crashes in Columbia peak in May, with 10.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Columbia?
Garbage trucks were involved in 63 reported crashes in Columbia since 2015 (3.0% of truck crashes).
How does Columbia compare with South Carolina for truck crashes?
Columbia records 125.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.6 across South Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Columbia?
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.