Salem city, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salem city: 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
3 of 121 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Salem city compares with Virginia
Salem city against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Salem city stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Salem city | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.7 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 20% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 35% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.6% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 15% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.4% | 22.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.5% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 36% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.5% | 39.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.3% | 24.3% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Virginia, Salem city is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Salem city: April 11.6% of truck crashes happen in April, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 121 crashes involving commercial trucks in Salem city since 2015: 49 people were injured and 2 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 35 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is April with 11.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is October at 5.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.5% of truck crashes, against 39.8% across Virginia.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (10.7%).
2.6% 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 in Salem city happened on Roanoke Blvd (1) and SR-419 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 3 crashes, 2.5% of the total, against 2.5% across Virginia.
Route planning tips for Salem city fleets
- Build extra time into April routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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 Salem city
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Salem city) |
|---|---|
| Roanoke Blvd | 1 |
| SR-419 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Salem city) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 46 |
| West Main Street | 7 |
| W Main St | 6 |
| Apperson Drive | 4 |
| Electric Rd | 4 |
| I-81 North | 4 |
| Electric Road | 3 |
| W. Main St | 3 |
Salem city at a glance
| Population | 25,908 |
| Land area | 14.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,785 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Salem city 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 | 2 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 4 | +94% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 7 | +92% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 12 | +67% | 0.0 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 12. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Salem city
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Salem city
How many truck accidents are there in Salem city?
Since 2015, 121 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Salem city (49 injured, 2 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Salem city?
April has the most truck crashes in Salem city, 11.6% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Salem city?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Salem city since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Salem city compare with Virginia for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 40.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Salem city, vs 51.1 for Virginia.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Salem city?
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.