Chattanooga, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chattanooga: 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
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Chattanooga compares with Tennessee
Chattanooga against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Chattanooga stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Chattanooga | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 111.5 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 1.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.2 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 44% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 82% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.7% | 21.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.3% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.2% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.9% | 25.9% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Chattanooga has lower values than Tennessee for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Chattanooga: 1.9× fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Chattanooga per year, 2020–24 vs 2016–19 (8.0 vs 4.2).
Overview
Since 2015, 2,487 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Chattanooga. They injured 1,027 people and killed 54.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 6.8%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.2% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across Tennessee.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.5% of truck crashes.
0.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 2.3% across Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-75 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (23). Next come I-24 (16), US-27 (4) and SR-319 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 71 of the truck crashes here, or 2.9%, compared with 1.9% in Tennessee.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (13% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Chattanooga fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Chattanooga.
- Look at alternatives to I-75 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in August; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Chattanooga
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 23 |
| I-24 | 16 |
| US-27 | 4 |
| SR-319 | 2 |
| SR-58 | 2 |
| US-11 | 2 |
| CR-070400 | 1 |
| CR-KLINGLER Ln | 1 |
| CR-ROBERTS Mill Rd | 1 |
| Daisy Dallas Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Chattanooga) |
|---|---|
| I-24 | 567 |
| I-75 | 300 |
| SR-153 | 71 |
| Amnicola Hwy | 59 |
| Bonny Oaks Dr | 45 |
| Shallowford Rd | 33 |
| SR-27 | 33 |
| SR-24 | 31 |
Chattanooga at a glance
| Population | 191,496 |
| Land area | 142.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,345 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 37406) | $44,850 |
| Median home value (ZIP 37406) | $161,255 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Chattanooga 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 | 32 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 70 | +117% | 4.5 |
| 2010s | 164 | +136% | 2.8 |
| 2020s | 225 | +37% | 6.8 |
In the 1990s about 32 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 225. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.5 a year in 2016–19, 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chattanooga
How many truck crashes happen in Chattanooga?
2,487 truck crashes have been reported in Chattanooga since 2015, with 54 deaths and 1,027 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Chattanooga?
I-75 had 23 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Chattanooga since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Chattanooga?
The worst month is October: 9.7% of truck crashes in Chattanooga happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Chattanooga?
Since 2015, Chattanooga has reported 71 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Chattanooga compare with Tennessee?
Chattanooga records 111.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Chattanooga?
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.