ZIP 28531 (Harkers Island, NC) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 28531: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Carteret 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
13 of 264 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Carteret County compares with North Carolina
Carteret County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2023 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Carteret County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2023) | Carteret County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 38.1 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 38% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.69 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.5% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 73% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.7% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 56% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.4% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 8.9% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 56% below the state |
Compared with North Carolina, Carteret County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above North Carolina on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Carteret County: 1 in 16 garbage-truck share of crashes is 6.1%, against 2.6% for North Carolina.
Overview
Carteret County has recorded 264 truck crashes since 2015, with 186 people injured and 5 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 14 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 10.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 4.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.4% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 12.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 28531 happened on SR-101 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
13 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for ZIP 28531 fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 26.6% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above North Carolina; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2021, 2024 and 2025; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Carteret County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-101 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Carteret County) |
|---|---|
| Bridges St | 5 |
| Arendell St | 2 |
| Buddy Parker Lane | 2 |
| Kangaroo | 2 |
| Turner St | 2 |
| Business Dr | 1 |
| Circle K | 1 |
| Danny Varner Building | 1 |
ZIP 28531 at a glance
| Population | 1,060 |
| Density | 183 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $60,000 |
| Median home value | $312,930 |
| Home ownership | 89% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Carteret 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 | 13 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | +17% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 22 | +44% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 23 | +4% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 13 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 23. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 28531
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 28531?
Since 2015, 264 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Carteret County (186 injured, 5 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 28531?
June has the most truck crashes in Carteret County, 10.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 28531?
Garbage trucks were involved in 13 reported crashes in Carteret County since 2015 (4.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 28531 compared with North Carolina?
Carteret County records 38.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 28531?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2021, 2024 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.