Virginia truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Virginia: 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
2.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Virginia compares with United States
Virginia against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Virginia stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Virginia | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 51.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.4 | 24% below the US |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.49 | 10% below the US |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.1× the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.0% | 6.2% | 51% below the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the US |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.3% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with the US, Virginia is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Virginia: I-81 111 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road in Virginia.
Overview
Police reported 52,651 crashes involving commercial trucks in Virginia since 2015: 23,455 people were injured and 1,400 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 12 truck crashes a day.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.1% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (7.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.8% of truck crashes, against 41.9% across the US.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 6.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 3.0% of truck crashes, compared with 6.2% in the US.
Where crashes happen
I-81 leads in Virginia with 111 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-95 (69), I-64 (57) and US-58 (51).
Garbage & waste trucks
1,330 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (the US: 2.3%).
Their busiest month is October, with 10% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 2.1 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Virginia fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-81, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in October; review collection routes for that month.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Virginia
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Virginia) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 111 |
| I-95 | 69 |
| I-64 | 57 |
| US-58 | 51 |
| US-460 | 39 |
| US-29 | 38 |
| US-13 | 26 |
| US-17 | 25 |
| US-15 | 24 |
| US-220 | 21 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Virginia) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 4,774 |
| I-95 | 2,580 |
| I-64 | 1,049 |
| I-77 | 610 |
| I-95 South | 506 |
| SR-58 | 472 |
| I-81 North | 458 |
| I-85 | 438 |
Virginia at a glance
| Population | 8,811,195 |
| Land area | 39,481.4 sq mi |
| Density | 223 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in Virginia 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 | 2,129 | — | 103.8 |
| 2000s | 3,201 | +50% | 91.5 |
| 2010s | 3,796 | +19% | 83.7 |
| 2020s | 4,923 | +30% | 107.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2,129 to 4,923. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 95.5 a year in 2016–19 and 107.8 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in Virginia
Largest places in Virginia
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about Virginia
How common are truck crashes in Virginia?
52,651 truck crashes have been reported in Virginia since 2015, with 1,400 deaths and 23,455 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Virginia?
NHTSA data shows I-81 with 111 fatal large-truck crashes in Virginia since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Virginia?
Truck crashes in Virginia peak in August, with 9.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Virginia?
Since 2015, Virginia has reported 1,330 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Virginia compare with the US for truck crashes?
Virginia records 51.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 49.7 across the US.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Virginia?
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.