Wautec, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wautec: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wautec 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 |
Humboldt County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and winter months (nov–mar). It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Humboldt County at a glance: 2.4% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 0.9% across California.
Overview
Since 2015, 434 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Humboldt County. They injured 173 people and killed 37.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
Wautec had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Humboldt County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 10.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 5.8%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 32.2% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 9.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.4% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Wautec happened on US-101 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 12 crashes, 2.8% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Route planning tips for Wautec fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 2.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above California), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Wautec at a glance
| Land area | 2.3 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95555) | $39,583 |
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 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 29 to 39. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.2 a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wautec
How many truck crashes happen in Wautec?
Since 2015, 434 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Humboldt County (173 injured, 37 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Wautec?
The worst month is July: 10.8% of truck crashes in Humboldt County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Wautec?
12 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Humboldt County since 2015, 2.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Wautec compare with California?
The yearly rate is 29.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Humboldt County, vs 33.2 for California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Wautec?
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.