Forest, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Forest: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Forest and Bedford County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Bedford County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 330 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Bedford County compares with Virginia
Bedford County against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Bedford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Bedford County | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 36.1 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 29% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.4% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.2% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.7% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 21% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.5% | 39.8% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 18.1% | 24.3% | 24.8% | 25% below the state |
Compared with Virginia, Bedford County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Bedford County at a glance: 4.3 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 2.6 across Virginia.
Overview
Since 2015, 330 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Bedford County. They injured 134 people and killed 14.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Forest since 2015, this page uses Bedford County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
88% of truck crash reports in Bedford County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (12.4% of the year) and are lowest in August (5.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.5% of truck crashes, vs 39.8% for Virginia.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 9.1% of truck crashes.
3.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.0% across Virginia.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Forest happened on US-221 (2), US-29 (2), Campbell Ave (1), Rivermont Ave (1) and US-460 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
11 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Virginia: 2.5%).
Route planning tips for Forest fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 28.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Virginia; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 3.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Virginia; 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 Bedford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-221 | 2 |
| US-29 | 2 |
| Campbell Ave | 1 |
| Rivermont Ave | 1 |
| US-460 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Bedford County) |
|---|---|
| SR-460 | 66 |
| SR-122 | 23 |
| SR-221 | 13 |
| SR-24 | 11 |
| Route 460 East | 8 |
| SR-501 | 8 |
| Route 460 West | 6 |
| Rt. 460 | 6 |
Forest at a glance
| Land area | 13.6 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 24551) | $91,067 |
| Median home value (ZIP 24551) | $360,810 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Bedford 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 | 24 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 28 | +16% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 28 | +2% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 29 | +2% | 1.2 |
In the 1990s about 24 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 29. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Forest
How many truck accidents are there in Forest?
330 truck crashes have been reported in Bedford County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 134 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Forest?
January has the most truck crashes in Bedford County, 12.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Forest?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Bedford County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
How does Forest compare with Virginia for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 36.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Bedford County, vs 51.1 for Virginia.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Forest?
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.