Cherokee Strip, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cherokee Strip: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cherokee Strip and Kern County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Kern County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Kern County compares with California
Kern County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kern County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kern County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 68.6 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 2.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 41% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.9% | 0.9% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.6% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.1% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 21% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 34.6% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Kern County has lower values than California for garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
What stands out in Kern County: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 17% of them.
Overview
Since 2015, 7,248 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Kern County. They injured 3,414 people and killed 403.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 2 truck crashes every day.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Cherokee Strip since 2015, this page uses Kern County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (9.4% of the year) and are lowest in February (7.1%).
November through March accounts for 39.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 6.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-58 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). It is followed by 7th Standard Rd (4), SR-99 (4) and I-5 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
69 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.0% share (California: 1.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (17% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 9.0, vs 5.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Cherokee Strip fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-58, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Kern County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-58 | 5 |
| 7th Standard Rd | 4 |
| SR-99 | 4 |
| I-5 | 3 |
| SR-46 | 3 |
| Magnolia Ave | 2 |
| CR-7TH Standard Rd | 1 |
| Kimberlina Rd | 1 |
| Snow Rd | 1 |
| Stockdale Hwy | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kern County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-99 N/B | 31 |
| Sr-58 W/B | 23 |
| I-5 | 22 |
| Sr-58 E/B | 21 |
| SR-58 | 20 |
| Sr-99 S/B | 17 |
| SR-99 | 17 |
| SR-223 | 11 |
Cherokee Strip at a glance
| Land area | 0.1 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 93263) | $71,528 |
| Median home value (ZIP 93263) | $321,149 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kern 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 | 5 | — | 23.6 |
| 2000s | 398 | +7854% | 20.5 |
| 2010s | 543 | +37% | 21.7 |
| 2020s | 659 | +21% | 28.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 659. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 25.0 a year in 2016–19, 28.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cherokee Strip
How many truck crashes happen in Cherokee Strip?
Kern County has had 7,248 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 3,414 people and killing 403.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Cherokee Strip?
Since 2015, SR-58 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Cherokee Strip: 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Cherokee Strip?
August has the most truck crashes in Kern County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cherokee Strip?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Kern County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Cherokee Strip compared with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Kern County has 68.6 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Cherokee Strip?
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.