Portsmouth, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Portsmouth: 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
9 of 258 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Portsmouth compares with Virginia
Portsmouth against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Portsmouth stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Portsmouth | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 23.8 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 53% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.4% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 22% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 32.8% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.7% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.0% | 39.8% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 16.6% | 24.3% | 24.8% | 32% below the state |
Portsmouth has lower values than Virginia for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Virginia on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Portsmouth at a glance: June 13.2% of truck crashes happen in June, more than any other month.
Overview
Since 2015, 258 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Portsmouth. They injured 139 people and killed 12.
That averages about one truck crash every 16 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (13.2% of the year) and are lowest in December (5.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.0% of truck crashes, against 39.8% across Virginia.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 10.9% of truck crashes.
2.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.0% across Virginia.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Portsmouth since 2015 were spread across roads: I-64 (6), US-58 (6), I-664 (5), SR-168 (3) and US-17 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 9 of the truck crashes here, or 3.5%, compared with 2.5% in Virginia.
Route planning tips for Portsmouth fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 32.8% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Virginia; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Portsmouth
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-64 | 6 |
| US-58 | 6 |
| I-664 | 5 |
| SR-168 | 3 |
| US-17 | 3 |
| I-264 | 2 |
| SR-164 | 2 |
| US-13 | 2 |
| Brookwood Dr | 1 |
| Colley Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Portsmouth) |
|---|---|
| I-264 | 15 |
| Victory Blvd | 14 |
| Interstate 264 East | 12 |
| I-264 East | 9 |
| Airline Blvd | 9 |
| I-264 West | 8 |
| East | 7 |
| East I-264 | 7 |
Portsmouth at a glance
| Population | 96,482 |
| Land area | 33.3 sq mi |
| Density | 2,897 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 23707) | $48,926 |
| Median home value (ZIP 23707) | $231,180 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Portsmouth 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 | 6 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 12 | +99% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 15 | +21% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 26 | +73% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 6 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 26. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Portsmouth
How common are truck crashes in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth has had 258 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 139 people and killing 12.
When do most truck crashes happen in Portsmouth?
June has the most truck crashes in Portsmouth, 13.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Portsmouth?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Portsmouth since 2015 (3.5% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Portsmouth compare with Virginia?
The yearly rate is 23.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Portsmouth, vs 51.1 for Virginia.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Portsmouth?
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.