South Houston, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in South Houston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in South Houston and Harris County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Harris County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Harris County compares with Texas
Harris County against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Harris County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Harris County | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 48.4 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 23% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 51% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.61 | 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% | 75% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.3% | 22.6% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.9% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.4% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.7% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Compared with Texas, Harris County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Texas on morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for South Houston: I-10 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of South Houston: 18 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 28,123 crashes involving commercial trucks in Harris County since 2015: 17,177 people were injured and 550 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 7 truck crashes every day.
Only 29 truck crashes were reported in South Houston since 2015; patterns below come from Harris County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (8.8% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.8% for Texas.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (7.1%).
0.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across Texas.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-10 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (18). It is followed by I-45 (11), I-610 (9) and SR-8 (5).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 309 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 1.1% in Texas.
Their busiest month is June, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 2.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for South Houston fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Harris County.
- Check whether your routes use I-10, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in June; review collection routes for that month.
- 24.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Texas; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Harris County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 18 |
| I-45 | 11 |
| I-610 | 9 |
| SR-8 | 5 |
| Clinton Dr | 3 |
| SR-3 | 3 |
| SR-35 | 3 |
| US-90 | 3 |
| Almeda Genoa Rd | 2 |
| Fm 865 Cullen Blvd | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Harris County) |
|---|---|
| South Fwy | 202 |
| Katy Fwy | 100 |
| East Fwy | 98 |
| Aldine Bender Rd | 93 |
| La Porte Fwy | 82 |
| N Sam Houston Pkwy | 80 |
| Pasadena Fwy | 78 |
| Fairbanks N Houston Rd | 73 |
South Houston at a glance
| Population | 16,146 |
| Land area | 3.0 sq mi |
| Density | 5,301 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 77587) | $53,497 |
| Median home value (ZIP 77587) | $176,082 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Harris 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 | 2,530 | — | 30.7 |
| 2000s | 2,084 | -18% | 30.4 |
| 2010s | 2,136 | +2% | 30.9 |
| 2020s | 2,485 | +16% | 47.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2,530 to 2,485. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 35.5 a year in 2016–19, 47.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about South Houston
How common are truck crashes in South Houston?
28,123 truck crashes have been reported in Harris County since 2015, with 550 deaths and 17,177 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in South Houston?
NHTSA data shows I-10 with 18 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of South Houston since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in South Houston?
The worst month is March: 8.8% of truck crashes in Harris County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in South Houston?
309 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Harris County since 2015, 1.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in South Houston compared with Texas?
Per 100,000 residents, Harris County has 48.4 truck crashes a year; Texas has 62.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in South 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.