ZIP 28202 (Charlotte, NC) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 28202: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Mecklenburg 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
3.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Mecklenburg County compares with North Carolina
Mecklenburg County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mecklenburg County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.1 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.66 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.3% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.4% | 20.4% | 24.8% | same |
Mecklenburg County has lower values than North Carolina for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr.
ZIP 28202 at a glance: I-77 14 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of ZIP 28202.
Overview
Police reported 9,717 crashes involving commercial trucks in Mecklenburg County since 2015: 6,305 people were injured and 150 were killed.
That averages about 2 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.0% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.6%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.7% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
I-77 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 28202 with 14 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-485 (13), I-85 (13) and US-29 (5).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 187 of the truck crashes here, or 1.9%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (14%).
They recorded 3.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 28202 fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-77, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Mecklenburg County.
- 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.
Crash reporting for 2024 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Mecklenburg County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-77 | 14 |
| I-485 | 13 |
| I-85 | 13 |
| US-29 | 5 |
| SR-16 | 4 |
| SR-24 | 3 |
| SR-49 | 2 |
| Steele Creek Rd | 2 |
| Alexanderiana Rd | 1 |
| Brookshire Blvd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mecklenburg County) |
|---|---|
| Brookshire Blvd | 104 |
| N Tryon St | 89 |
| Wilkinson Blvd | 88 |
| Westinghouse Blvd | 79 |
| N Graham St | 77 |
| S Tryon St | 75 |
| Statesville Rd | 70 |
| Albemarle Rd | 69 |
ZIP 28202 at a glance
| Population | 17,653 |
| Density | 3,778 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $105,889 |
| Median home value | $444,197 |
| Home ownership | 29% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mecklenburg 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 | 175 | — | 7.5 |
| 2000s | 486 | +177% | 8.1 |
| 2010s | 839 | +73% | 9.7 |
| 2020s | 765 | -9% | 11.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 175 a year in the 1990s and 765 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 12.0 a year in 2016–19, 11.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 28202
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 28202?
Mecklenburg County has had 9,717 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 6,305 people and killing 150.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in ZIP 28202?
I-77 had 14 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 28202 since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 28202?
Truck crashes in Mecklenburg County peak in June, with 9.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 28202?
187 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mecklenburg County since 2015, 1.9% of all truck crashes.
How does ZIP 28202 compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Mecklenburg County records 73.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 28202?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2024; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.