Houston, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Houston: 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
1.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Houston compares with Texas
Houston against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Houston stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Houston | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 60.7 | 62.9 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 56% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.62 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 1.1% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 76% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 22.6% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.2% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 9% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.6% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Compared with Texas, Houston is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Houston: I-10 deadliest road: 31 fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Houston since 2015.
Overview
Houston has recorded 16,704 truck crashes since 2015, with 10,349 people injured and 298 killed.
That averages about 4 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 9.0% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.2%).
November through March accounts for 40.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Texas.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 7.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.4% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in Texas.
Where crashes happen
I-10 leads within 15 miles of Houston with 31 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-45 (27), I-610 (25) and SR-8 (22).
Garbage & waste trucks
183 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.1% share (Texas: 1.1%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in June (10% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.7, vs 1.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Houston fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-10, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: June is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Houston.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 24.6% of truck crashes here, more than Texas; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Houston
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 31 |
| I-45 | 27 |
| I-610 | 25 |
| SR-8 | 22 |
| I-69 | 18 |
| US-90 | 12 |
| US-290 | 8 |
| Little York Rd | 4 |
| SR-288 | 4 |
| Clinton Dr | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Houston) |
|---|---|
| South Fwy | 201 |
| La Porte Fwy | 79 |
| Telephone Rd | 70 |
| Almeda Genoa Rd | 68 |
| N 900 North Lp | 50 |
| Clinton Dr | 49 |
| Will Clayton Pkwy | 48 |
| S 5600 Southwest Fwy | 47 |
Houston at a glance
| Population | 2,390,125 |
| Land area | 640.8 sq mi |
| Density | 3,730 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 77009) | $83,148 |
| Median home value (ZIP 77009) | $400,622 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Houston 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 | 1,658 | — | 30.7 |
| 2000s | 0 | -100% | 30.4 |
| 2010s | 938 | +937700% | 30.9 |
| 2020s | 1,457 | +55% | 47.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 1,658 a year in the 1990s and 1,457 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 35.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 47.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Houston
How many truck crashes happen in Houston?
Since 2015, 16,704 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Houston (10,349 injured, 298 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Houston?
NHTSA data shows I-10 with 31 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Houston since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Houston?
June has the most truck crashes in Houston, 9.0% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Houston?
Since 2015, Houston has reported 183 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Houston compare with Texas?
Per 100,000 residents, Houston has 60.7 truck crashes a year; Texas has 62.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Houston?
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.