China Lake Acres, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in China Lake Acres: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in China Lake Acres 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 |
Compared with California, Kern County is lower on 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.
The headline for Kern County: December more garbage-truck crashes happen in December than in any other month (17%).
Overview
Police reported 7,248 crashes involving commercial trucks in Kern County since 2015: 3,414 people were injured and 403 were killed.
That averages about 2 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
China Lake Acres had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Kern County numbers.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (7.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.3% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (6.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.9% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
US-395 leads within 10 miles of China Lake Acres with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-14 (2) and SR-178 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 69 crashes, 1.0% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
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 China Lake Acres fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-395 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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
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 Kern County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-395 | 4 |
| SR-14 | 2 |
| SR-178 | 2 |
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 |
China Lake Acres at a glance
| Land area | 5.2 sq mi |
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 China Lake Acres
How common are truck crashes in China Lake Acres?
Since 2015, 7,248 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Kern County (3,414 injured, 403 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in China Lake Acres?
NHTSA data shows US-395 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of China Lake Acres since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in China Lake Acres?
August has the most truck crashes in Kern County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in China Lake Acres?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Kern County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in China Lake Acres compare with California?
The yearly rate is 68.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Kern County, vs 33.2 for California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in China Lake Acres?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.