ZIP 36851 (Cottonton, AL) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 36851: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Russell 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
16 of 761 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Russell County compares with Alabama
Russell County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Russell County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Russell County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 112.2 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.57 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.5% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 31% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.9% | 22.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.1% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.7% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.2% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Russell County has lower values than Alabama for on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It runs above Alabama on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Russell County at a glance: 0.5% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 0.8% in Alabama.
Overview
Police reported 761 crashes involving commercial trucks in Russell County since 2015: 429 people were injured and 28 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 6 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 6.3%.
November through March accounts for 38.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Alabama.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 9.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Alabama: 0.8%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 36851 since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-165 (2), CR-4 (1) and SR-39 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 16 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 2.3% in Alabama.
Route planning tips for ZIP 36851 fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Russell County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-165 | 2 |
| CR-4 | 1 |
| SR-39 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Russell County) |
|---|---|
| US-431 | 141 |
| US-80 | 89 |
| US-280 | 68 |
| Us Highway 280/431 | 54 |
| Al-165 | 51 |
| Us-280/431 | 32 |
| Al-169 | 17 |
| 4Th Avenue | 12 |
ZIP 36851 at a glance
| Population | 0 |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Russell 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 | 37 | — | 3.2 |
| 2000s | 67 | +81% | 2.2 |
| 2010s | 60 | -11% | 2.1 |
| 2020s | 61 | +2% | 2.0 |
In the 1990s about 37 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 61. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 36851
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 36851?
Russell County has had 761 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 429 people and killing 28.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 36851?
The worst month is August: 10.1% of truck crashes in Russell County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 36851?
16 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Russell County since 2015, 2.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 36851 compared with Alabama?
Per 100,000 residents, Russell County has 112.2 truck crashes a year; Alabama has 80.8.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 36851?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.