ZIP 28024 (Cliffside, NC) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 28024: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Rutherford County, 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
2 of 309 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Rutherford County compares with North Carolina
Rutherford County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rutherford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rutherford County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 39.4 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 36% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.8 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.58 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.7% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 73% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 18% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.2% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.3% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 17.2% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Rutherford County sits below North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above North Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes.
What stands out in Rutherford County: 1 in 143 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.7%, against 2.6% for North Carolina.
Overview
Since 2015, 309 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Rutherford County. They injured 180 people and killed 9.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 14 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 13.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 4.9%.
November through March accounts for 37.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 10.4% of truck crashes.
1.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
US-74 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 28024 with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-221 (2), Casey Martin Dr (1) and SR-150 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.6% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Route planning tips for ZIP 28024 fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-74 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Rutherford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-74 | 5 |
| US-221 | 2 |
| Casey Martin Dr | 1 |
| SR-150 | 1 |
| SR-87 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rutherford County) |
|---|---|
| College Ave | 6 |
| Railroad Ave | 5 |
| College Avenue | 5 |
| S Broadway St | 4 |
| W Main St | 3 |
| Withrow Rd | 3 |
| Buffalo Creek Rd | 2 |
| Charlotte Rd | 2 |
ZIP 28024 at a glance
| Population | 31 |
| Density | 42 per sq mi |
| Home ownership | 100% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Rutherford 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 | 18 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 26 | +44% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 28 | +5% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 24 | -14% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 18 a year in the 1990s and 24 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 28024
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 28024?
Since 2015, 309 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Rutherford County (180 injured, 9 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 28024?
Since 2015, US-74 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 28024: 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 28024?
Truck crashes in Rutherford County peak in September, with 13.3% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 28024?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Rutherford County since 2015 (0.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 28024 compared with North Carolina?
Rutherford County records 39.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 28024?
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.