Knoxville, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Knoxville: 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
2.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Knoxville compares with Tennessee
Knoxville against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Knoxville stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Knoxville | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 108.4 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 13% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.2% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 49% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.6% | 21.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.8% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.5% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.7% | 25.9% | 24.8% | same |
Knoxville has lower values than Tennessee for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Tennessee on crashes per 100k residents / yr and in rain, sleet or snow.
Knoxville at a glance: +84% change in yearly reported truck crashes from the 2000s (87) to the 2010s (160).
Overview
Police reported 2,486 crashes involving commercial trucks in Knoxville since 2015: 1,086 people were injured and 62 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (9.9% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.3%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 38.5% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across Tennessee.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.3% of truck crashes.
1.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 2.3% across Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
I-40 leads within 15 miles of Knoxville with 27 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-75 (6), US-129 (6) and SR-169 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 42 crashes, 1.7% of the total, against 1.9% across Tennessee.
Their busiest month is December, with 19% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.5, vs 2.6 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Knoxville fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-40, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Knoxville.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Knoxville
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 27 |
| I-75 | 6 |
| US-129 | 6 |
| SR-169 | 4 |
| SR-131 | 3 |
| SR-168 | 3 |
| I-275 | 2 |
| SR-170 | 2 |
| US-11 | 2 |
| US-11W | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Knoxville) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 823 |
| I-640 | 114 |
| I-75 | 112 |
| I-40 West | 94 |
| I-40 East | 73 |
| Interstate 40 East | 40 |
| Asheville Hwy | 38 |
| Western Ave | 36 |
Knoxville at a glance
| Population | 198,722 |
| Land area | 98.7 sq mi |
| Density | 2,013 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Knoxville 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 | 25 | — | 6.5 |
| 2000s | 53 | +109% | 5.6 |
| 2010s | 160 | +205% | 4.9 |
| 2020s | 229 | +43% | 8.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 25 a year in the 1990s and 229 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 6.0 a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Knoxville
How many truck crashes happen in Knoxville?
2,486 truck crashes have been reported in Knoxville since 2015, with 62 deaths and 1,086 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Knoxville?
NHTSA data shows I-40 with 27 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Knoxville since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Knoxville?
The worst month is October: 9.9% of truck crashes in Knoxville happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Knoxville?
42 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Knoxville since 2015, 1.7% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Knoxville compare with Tennessee?
Knoxville records 108.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Knoxville?
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.