Roanoke, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Roanoke: 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
13 of 316 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Roanoke compares with Virginia
Roanoke against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Roanoke stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Roanoke | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 28.6 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 44% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 50% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.2% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.3% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 57% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.6% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.3% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 10% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 39.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.9% | 24.3% | 24.8% | 30% below the state |
Compared with Virginia, Roanoke is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Roanoke at a glance: 1 in 24 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.2%, against 2.5% for Virginia.
Overview
Since 2015, 316 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Roanoke. They injured 122 people and killed 4.
That averages about one truck crash every 13 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.7%.
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 39.8% in Virginia.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 9.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 1.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Virginia: 3.0%).
Where crashes happen
I-81 leads within 10 miles of Roanoke with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-460 (3), SR-24 (2) and CR-678 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 13 of the truck crashes here, or 4.1%, compared with 2.5% in Virginia.
Route planning tips for Roanoke fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-81; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Morning starts matter: 27.6% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Virginia.
- 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 Roanoke
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 8 |
| US-460 | 3 |
| SR-24 | 2 |
| CR-678 | 1 |
| Glade View | 1 |
| Mu-149 Washington Ave | 1 |
| Roanoke Blvd | 1 |
| SR-116 | 1 |
| SR-419 | 1 |
| US-220 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Roanoke) |
|---|---|
| Orange Ave Ne | 36 |
| I-581 | 31 |
| Franklin Rd Sw | 20 |
| Orange Ave Nw | 15 |
| Peters Creek Rd Nw | 8 |
| I-581Sb | 7 |
| I-581 North | 5 |
| Shenandoah Ave Nw | 4 |
Roanoke at a glance
| Population | 97,912 |
| Land area | 42.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,303 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Roanoke 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 | 5 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 17 | +232% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 29 | +75% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 31 | +6% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 31. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Roanoke
How many truck accidents are there in Roanoke?
Since 2015, 316 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Roanoke (122 injured, 4 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Roanoke?
Since 2015, I-81 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Roanoke: 8.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Roanoke?
The worst month is August: 9.5% of truck crashes in Roanoke happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Roanoke?
Since 2015, Roanoke has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.1% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Roanoke compared with Virginia?
Roanoke records 28.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 51.1 across Virginia.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Roanoke?
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.