Elizabethton, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elizabethton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elizabethton and Carter County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Carter County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 178 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Carter County compares with Tennessee
Carter County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Carter County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Carter County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 25.8 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 57% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.9% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 2.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.5% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 2.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.7% | 21.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.5% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 10% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.2% | 40.5% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 17.8% | 25.9% | 24.8% | 31% below the state |
Carter County sits below Tennessee on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Carter County: 1 in 20 crashes involve a garbage truck (8 since 2015), vs 1.9% across Tennessee.
Overview
Police reported 178 crashes involving commercial trucks in Carter County since 2015: 69 people were injured and 7 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 25 days.
Elizabethton had 44 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Carter County numbers.
50% of truck crash reports in Carter County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (15.7% of the year) and are lowest in February (3.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.2% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across Tennessee.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (10.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 5.5% of truck crashes, compared with 2.3% in Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Elizabethton is US-11E, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: CR-MOUNTAIN View Dr (1), SR-362 (1) and SR-381 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
8 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.5% share (Tennessee: 1.9%).
Route planning tips for Elizabethton fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-11E at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 5.5% of truck crashes here, more than Tennessee; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Carter County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-11E | 2 |
| CR-MOUNTAIN View Dr | 1 |
| SR-362 | 1 |
| SR-381 | 1 |
| US-19E | 1 |
| US-321 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Carter County) |
|---|---|
| SR-19E | 33 |
| SR-321 | 18 |
| US-19E | 15 |
| US-321 | 11 |
| W Elk Ave | 10 |
| Piney Flats Rd | 6 |
| Simerly Creek Rd | 6 |
| Broad St | 4 |
Elizabethton at a glance
| Population | 14,461 |
| Land area | 9.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,514 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Carter 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 | 5 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 8 | +82% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 12 | +42% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 17 | +38% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 5 a year in the 1990s and 17 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elizabethton
How many truck crashes happen in Elizabethton?
Since 2015, 178 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Carter County (69 injured, 7 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Elizabethton?
NHTSA data shows US-11E with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elizabethton since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Elizabethton?
The worst month is September: 15.7% of truck crashes in Carter County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Elizabethton?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Carter County since 2015, 4.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Elizabethton compare with Tennessee for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 25.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Carter County, vs 60.1 for Tennessee.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Elizabethton?
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.