Bristol, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bristol: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bristol and Sullivan County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sullivan County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 644 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Sullivan County compares with Tennessee
Sullivan County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sullivan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sullivan County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.6 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 46% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.7% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.2% | 21.8% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.0% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 20% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.2% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.9% | 25.9% | 24.8% | same |
Sullivan County has lower values than Tennessee for crashes per 100k residents / yr, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Bristol: I-81 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Bristol since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 644 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sullivan County. They injured 342 people and killed 26.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
Only 78 truck crashes were reported in Bristol since 2015; patterns below come from Sullivan County as a whole.
22% of truck crash reports in Sullivan County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 6.7%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 38.2% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across Tennessee.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Tennessee: 2.3%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-81 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). It is followed by US-11W (2), CR-MOUNTAIN View Dr (1) and SR-394 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 15 crashes, 2.3% of the total, against 1.9% across Tennessee.
Route planning tips for Bristol fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-81 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 2.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Tennessee; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Sullivan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 3 |
| US-11W | 2 |
| CR-MOUNTAIN View Dr | 1 |
| SR-394 | 1 |
| West State Street | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sullivan County) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 227 |
| I-26 | 55 |
| E Stone Dr | 25 |
| SR-11W | 19 |
| Interstate 81 Hwy | 15 |
| SR-394 | 14 |
| I-81 Hwy | 12 |
| W Stone Dr | 12 |
Bristol at a glance
| Population | 27,867 |
| Land area | 32.7 sq mi |
| Density | 852 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sullivan 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 | 8 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 40 | +375% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 49 | +24% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 56 | +15% | 2.2 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 56. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bristol
How many truck accidents are there in Bristol?
Since 2015, 644 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sullivan County (342 injured, 26 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Bristol?
Since 2015, I-81 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Bristol: 3.
When do most truck crashes happen in Bristol?
Truck crashes in Sullivan County peak in August, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Bristol?
15 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Sullivan County since 2015, 2.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Bristol compare with Tennessee?
Sullivan County records 32.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Bristol?
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.