ZIP 35896 (Huntsville, AL) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 35896: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Madison 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
2.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Madison County compares with Alabama
Madison County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Madison County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Madison County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 39.5 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 51% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.0× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.5% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 32% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.3% | 22.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.4% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.0% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 15.3% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 36% below the state |
Madison County has lower values than Alabama for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Madison County: 1 in 22 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.5%, vs 2.3% in Alabama.
Overview
Police reported 1,950 crashes involving commercial trucks in Madison County since 2015: 752 people were injured and 55 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 10.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 6.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 37.0% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Alabama.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.8% of truck crashes.
0.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Where crashes happen
I-565 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 35896 with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-2 (3), SR-1 (2) and US-72 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 84 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 2.3% in Alabama.
Their busiest month is October, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 2.4 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 35896 fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-565; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: October is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Madison County.
- 24.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Alabama; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Madison County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-565 | 4 |
| SR-2 | 3 |
| SR-1 | 2 |
| US-72 | 2 |
| Us-Sr 1 | 2 |
| CR-CAPSHAW Rd | 1 |
| CR-OLD Railroad Bed Rd | 1 |
| Governors Dr | 1 |
| Mountain Gap Rd | 1 |
| Oakwood Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Madison County) |
|---|---|
| I-565 | 234 |
| Memorial Parkway | 121 |
| US-72 | 103 |
| US-231 | 68 |
| US-431 | 47 |
| Al-53 | 44 |
| Wall Triana Hwy | 39 |
| Memorial Pkwy | 37 |
ZIP 35896 at a glance
| Population | 603 |
| Density | 536 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Madison 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 | 76 | — | 3.1 |
| 2000s | 130 | +71% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 142 | +10% | 3.2 |
| 2020s | 164 | +15% | 4.2 |
In the 1990s about 76 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 164. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.5 a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 35896
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 35896?
1,950 truck crashes have been reported in Madison County since 2015, with 55 deaths and 752 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in ZIP 35896?
I-565 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 35896 since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 35896?
October has the most truck crashes in Madison County, 10.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 35896?
Garbage trucks were involved in 84 reported crashes in Madison County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 35896 compared with Alabama?
Madison County records 39.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Alabama.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 35896?
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.