Blue Lake, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Blue Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Blue Lake and Humboldt County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Humboldt County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
12 of 434 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Humboldt County compares with California
Humboldt County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Humboldt County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Humboldt County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.2 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.4% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 2.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.8% | 23.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.8% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 2.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 32.2% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 20% below the state |
| After dark | 24.0% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Compared with California, Humboldt County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and winter months (nov–mar). It runs above California on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Humboldt County: 2.4% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Overview
Police reported 434 crashes involving commercial trucks in Humboldt County since 2015: 173 people were injured and 37 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Blue Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Humboldt County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 10.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 5.8%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 32.2% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 9.2% of truck crashes.
2.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Blue Lake since 2015: SR-299 (2), Myrtle Ave (1) and US-101 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
12 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.8% share (California: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Blue Lake fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Humboldt County.
- 2.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above California; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Humboldt County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-299 | 2 |
| Myrtle Ave | 1 |
| US-101 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Humboldt County) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 5 |
| SR-36 | 4 |
| SR-299 | 3 |
| Central Av/Gwin Rd | 2 |
| Rt101/.7M S Kane Rd | 2 |
| Rt101/.8M S Kane Rd | 2 |
| Rt101/1.2M S Kane Rd | 2 |
| Rt96/.6M E Slate Creek Rd | 2 |
Blue Lake at a glance
| Population | 1,159 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,875 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95521) | $53,114 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95521) | $509,389 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Humboldt 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 | — | — | 2.4 |
| 2000s | 29 | — | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 34 | +16% | 2.1 |
| 2020s | 39 | +14% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 29 a year in the 2000s and 39 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 3.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Blue Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Blue Lake?
434 truck crashes have been reported in Humboldt County since 2015, with 37 deaths and 173 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Blue Lake?
July has the most truck crashes in Humboldt County, 10.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Blue Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 12 reported crashes in Humboldt County since 2015 (2.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Blue Lake compare with California?
The yearly rate is 29.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Humboldt County, vs 33.2 for California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Blue Lake?
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.