Birch River, WV truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Birch River: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Birch River and Nicholas County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Nicholas County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 196 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Nicholas County compares with West Virginia
Nicholas County against West Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Nicholas County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Nicholas County | West Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 69.6 | 57.6 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.45 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.5% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 51% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.9% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.1% | 20.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.0% | 24.8% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.9% | 41.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.3% | 26.6% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with West Virginia, Nicholas County is lower on garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above West Virginia on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Nicholas County at a glance: 1 in 185 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.5%, against 1.1% for West Virginia.
Overview
Since 2015, 196 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Nicholas County. They injured 97 people and killed 10.
That averages about one truck crash every 22 days in fully reported years.
Only 20 truck crashes were reported in Birch River since 2015; patterns below come from Nicholas County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 5.1%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.9% of truck crashes, vs 41.7% for West Virginia.
More truck crashes happen at 4–5 pm than at any other hour (8.7%).
10.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 8.1% across West Virginia.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Birch River since 2015 were spread across roads: US-19 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 1.0%, compared with 1.1% in West Virginia.
Route planning tips for Birch River fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 10.9% of truck crashes here, more than West 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
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 Nicholas County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-19 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Nicholas County) |
|---|---|
| Us Rt 019 | 19 |
| SR-19 | 16 |
| Us Rt 19 | 16 |
| SR-39 | 9 |
| Wv Rt 039 | 5 |
| SR-20 | 4 |
| Wv Rt 20 | 4 |
| County Rt 20 | 3 |
Birch River at a glance
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 26610) | $37,165 |
| Median home value (ZIP 26610) | $89,356 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Nicholas 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 | 4 | — | 1.9 |
| 2000s | 18 | +364% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 20 | +12% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 15 | -25% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 15. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Birch River
How many truck accidents are there in Birch River?
Since 2015, 196 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Nicholas County (97 injured, 10 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Birch River?
Truck crashes in Nicholas County peak in January, with 11.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Birch River?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Nicholas County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Birch River compare with West Virginia?
Nicholas County records 69.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.6 across West Virginia.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Birch River?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.