Saltville, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Saltville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Saltville and Smyth County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Smyth County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 514 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Smyth County compares with Virginia
Smyth County against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Smyth County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Smyth County | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 149.1 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 2.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.2% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 92% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.0% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 14.2% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 37% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 37.9% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 2.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.1% | 39.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.4% | 24.3% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Compared with Virginia, Smyth County is lower on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Smyth County: 37.9% share of truck crashes in rain, sleet or snow (Virginia: 14.8%).
Overview
Smyth County has recorded 514 truck crashes since 2015, with 202 people injured and 20 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 8 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Saltville since 2015; patterns below come from Smyth County as a whole.
82% of truck crash reports in Smyth County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 11.3% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (5.4%).
November through March accounts for 39.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 39.8% in Virginia.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 8.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 5.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Virginia: 3.0%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-81 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). It is followed by SR-91 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.4% of the total, against 2.5% across Virginia.
Route planning tips for Saltville fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-81 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 5.0% of truck crashes here, more than Virginia; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Smyth County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 7 |
| SR-91 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Smyth County) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 339 |
| Southbound Interstate 81 | 11 |
| SR-11 | 8 |
| I-81 North | 6 |
| I-81 South | 6 |
| Northbound Interstate 81 | 6 |
| SR-16 | 6 |
| SR-107 | 3 |
Saltville at a glance
| Population | 1,773 |
| Land area | 8.0 sq mi |
| Density | 221 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 24370) | $48,787 |
| Median home value (ZIP 24370) | $121,998 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Smyth 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 | 19 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 28 | +46% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 32 | +14% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 54 | +68% | 1.4 |
In the 1990s about 19 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 54. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Saltville
How common are truck crashes in Saltville?
Smyth County has had 514 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 202 people and killing 20.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Saltville?
I-81 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Saltville since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Saltville?
Truck crashes in Smyth County peak in May, with 11.3% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Saltville?
Since 2015, Smyth County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.4% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Saltville compare with Virginia?
Smyth County records 149.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 51.1 across Virginia.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Saltville?
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.