Smyrna, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Smyrna: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Smyrna and Rutherford County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Rutherford County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Rutherford County compares with Tennessee
Rutherford County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rutherford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rutherford County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 54.8 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 9% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 36% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 16% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.1% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 9% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 21.8% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.7% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.5% | 25.9% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Rutherford County has lower values than Tennessee for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share. It runs above Tennessee on morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark.
The headline for Smyrna: I-24 deadliest road: 12 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Smyrna since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 2,424 crashes involving commercial trucks in Rutherford County since 2015: 1,139 people were injured and 60 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
With 340 truck crashes reported in Smyrna since 2015, this page uses Rutherford County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
40% of truck crash reports in Rutherford County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 7.6%.
November through March accounts for 40.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.5% in Tennessee.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (6.8%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.1% of truck crashes, compared with 2.3% in Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Smyrna is I-24, with 12 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-840 (3), US-41 (3) and SR-840 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
37 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.5% share (Tennessee: 1.9%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in October (24% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.7, vs 2.5 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Smyrna fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-24 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at October schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 23.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Tennessee.
- 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 Rutherford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-24 | 12 |
| I-840 | 3 |
| US-41 | 3 |
| SR-840 | 2 |
| Waldron Rd | 2 |
| Buchanan St | 1 |
| CR-COUCHVILLE Pk | 1 |
| CR-FLORENCE Rd | 1 |
| Firestone Pkwy | 1 |
| Mu-Threet Industrial Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rutherford County) |
|---|---|
| I-24 | 1,014 |
| I-840 | 139 |
| S Church St | 79 |
| Nw Broad St | 48 |
| Ramp | 34 |
| Shelbyville Pike | 32 |
| Waldron Rd | 29 |
| W Sam Ridley Pkwy | 27 |
Smyrna at a glance
| Population | 60,302 |
| Land area | 34.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,766 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 37167) | $84,351 |
| Median home value (ZIP 37167) | $365,579 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Rutherford 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 | 44 | — | 2.7 |
| 2000s | 85 | +94% | 3.5 |
| 2010s | 158 | +86% | 3.9 |
| 2020s | 218 | +38% | 5.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 44 to 218. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.8 a year in 2016–19 and 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Smyrna
How many truck accidents are there in Smyrna?
2,424 truck crashes have been reported in Rutherford County since 2015, with 60 deaths and 1,139 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Smyrna?
Since 2015, I-24 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Smyrna: 12.
When do most truck crashes happen in Smyrna?
The worst month is October: 9.3% of truck crashes in Rutherford County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Smyrna?
37 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Rutherford County since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Smyrna compare with Tennessee?
The yearly rate is 54.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Rutherford County, vs 60.1 for Tennessee.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Smyrna?
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.