Drakes Branch, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Drakes Branch: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Drakes Branch and Charlotte County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Charlotte County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 117 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Charlotte County compares with Virginia
Charlotte County against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Charlotte County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Charlotte County | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 90.4 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 65% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.8% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 41% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.8% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 18% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.4% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 9% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.0% | 39.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.2% | 24.3% | 24.8% | 37% below the state |
Charlotte County has lower values than Virginia for garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Virginia on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Charlotte County: 8.9 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.6 in Virginia.
Overview
Charlotte County has recorded 117 truck crashes since 2015, with 60 people injured and 10 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 36 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Drakes Branch since 2015; patterns below come from Charlotte County as a whole.
91% of truck crash reports in Charlotte County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 17.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 3.4%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.0% of truck crashes, vs 39.8% for Virginia.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 10.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.8% of truck crashes, compared with 3.0% in Virginia.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-15 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). After it: SR-59 (1) and US-360 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.9% share (Virginia: 2.5%).
Route planning tips for Drakes Branch fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Charlotte County.
- Look at alternatives to US-15 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Charlotte County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-15 | 3 |
| SR-59 | 1 |
| US-360 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Charlotte County) |
|---|---|
| SR-360 | 22 |
| SR-40 | 11 |
| Rt. 360 | 8 |
| SR-47 | 7 |
| US-360 | 6 |
| SR-92 | 4 |
| SR-15 | 3 |
| Kings Highway At Cabbage Patch Road | 2 |
Drakes Branch at a glance
| Population | 516 |
| Land area | 4.1 sq mi |
| Density | 125 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 23937) | $42,818 |
| Median home value (ZIP 23937) | $94,816 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Charlotte 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 | 11 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 10 | -11% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 9 | -7% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 11 | +21% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 11 to 11. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Drakes Branch
How common are truck crashes in Drakes Branch?
117 truck crashes have been reported in Charlotte County since 2015, with 10 deaths and 60 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Drakes Branch?
NHTSA data shows US-15 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Drakes Branch since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Drakes Branch?
The worst month is October: 17.1% of truck crashes in Charlotte County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Drakes Branch?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Charlotte County since 2015, 0.9% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Drakes Branch compared with Virginia?
Charlotte County records 90.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 51.1 across Virginia.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Drakes Branch?
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.