Austin, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Austin: 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
19.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Austin compares with Texas
Austin against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Austin stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Austin | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.7 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 45% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 20% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 57% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.7% | 22.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.4% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 35% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.3% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 29.8% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Austin sits below Texas on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Texas on garbage-truck share and after dark.
Austin at a glance: I-35 deadliest road: 39 fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Austin since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,977 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Austin. They injured 2,136 people and killed 130.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 9.8% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (6.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.3% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Texas.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 7.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.7% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in Texas.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Austin is I-35, with 39 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-130 (14), SR-71 (12) and US-183 (9).
Garbage & waste trucks
58 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.5% share (Texas: 1.1%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (14%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 19.3, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Austin fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Austin.
- Look at alternatives to I-35 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Austin
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 39 |
| SR-130 | 14 |
| SR-71 | 12 |
| US-183 | 9 |
| US-290 | 9 |
| SR-45 | 5 |
| Fm 973 | 3 |
| Airport Blvd | 2 |
| Fm 734 | 2 |
| Fm 812 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Austin) |
|---|---|
| N Ih 35 | 61 |
| S Ih 35 | 58 |
| Ed Bluestein Blvd | 38 |
| Research Blvd | 36 |
| Airport Blvd | 25 |
| Bastrop Hwy | 23 |
| Burnet Rd | 22 |
| I-35 | 19 |
Austin at a glance
| Population | 993,588 |
| Land area | 326.4 sq mi |
| Density | 3,044 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 78703) | $153,036 |
| Median home value (ZIP 78703) | $1,568,750 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Austin 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 | 320 | — | 5.9 |
| 2000s | 0 | -100% | 7.5 |
| 2010s | 213 | -34% | 9.7 |
| 2020s | 340 | +60% | 18.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 320 to 340. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 12.5 a year in 2016–19, 18.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Austin
How common are truck crashes in Austin?
3,977 truck crashes have been reported in Austin since 2015, with 130 deaths and 2,136 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Austin?
NHTSA data shows I-35 with 39 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Austin since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Austin?
Truck crashes in Austin peak in March, with 9.8% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Austin?
58 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Austin since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Austin compared with Texas?
Per 100,000 residents, Austin has 34.7 truck crashes a year; Texas has 62.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Austin?
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.