McDowell, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in McDowell: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in McDowell and Highland County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Highland County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 26 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Highland County compares with Virginia
Highland County against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Highland County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Highland County | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 96.8 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 1.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.20 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 55% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 16.0% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 5.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 32.0% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.0% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 32.0% | 39.8% | 41.9% | 20% below the state |
| After dark | 24.0% | 24.3% | 24.8% | same |
Highland County has lower values than Virginia for injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and winter months (nov–mar). It runs above Virginia on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Highland County: 16.0% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Virginia: 3.0%).
Overview
Since 2015, 26 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Highland County. They injured 5 people and killed 2.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 161 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in McDowell since 2015, this page uses Highland County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
96% of truck crash reports in Highland County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 15.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is August at 0.0%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 32.0% of truck crashes, vs 39.8% for Virginia.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (15.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 16.0% of truck crashes, compared with 3.0% in Virginia.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of McDowell happened on US-220 (3); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Highland County since 2015.
Route planning tips for McDowell fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 32.0% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Virginia.
- With 16.0% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Virginia), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Highland County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-220 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Highland County) |
|---|---|
| SR-250 | 10 |
| SR-220 | 6 |
| SR-84 | 2 |
| Highland Tpke At 0.70M W Of Doe Hill Rd | 1 |
| Highland Turnpike | 1 |
| Route 220 N. | 1 |
| SR-614 | 1 |
| SR-616 | 1 |
McDowell at a glance
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 24458) | $54,145 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Highland 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 | 3 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 4 | +52% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 3 | -31% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 3 | +11% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 3 to 3. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about McDowell
How many truck accidents are there in McDowell?
26 truck crashes have been reported in Highland County since 2015, with 2 deaths and 5 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in McDowell?
September has the most truck crashes in Highland County, 15.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in McDowell?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Highland County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in McDowell compared with Virginia?
Per 100,000 residents, Highland County has 96.8 truck crashes a year; Virginia has 51.1.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in McDowell?
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.