Delano, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Delano: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Delano 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 stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
The headline for Kern County: December garbage-truck crashes peak in December (17% of the year's total).
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.
Only 57 truck crashes were reported in Delano since 2015; patterns below come from Kern County as a whole.
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.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.9% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-99 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). After it: SR-43 (3), Ave 56 (1) and Benner Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 69 of the truck crashes here, or 1.0%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (17% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 9.0 deaths compared with 5.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Delano fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-99; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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) |
|---|---|
| SR-99 | 4 |
| SR-43 | 3 |
| Ave 56 | 1 |
| Benner Ave | 1 |
| CR-GARCES Hwy | 1 |
| Driver Rd | 1 |
| Elmo Hwy | 1 |
| Famoso Porterville Hwy | 1 |
| Famoso-Porterville Hwy | 1 |
| Garzoli Ave | 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 |
Delano at a glance
| Population | 53,198 |
| Land area | 14.7 sq mi |
| Density | 3,615 per 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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 25.0 a year in 2016–19 and 28.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Delano
How many truck accidents are there in Delano?
7,248 truck crashes have been reported in Kern County since 2015, with 403 deaths and 3,414 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Delano?
NHTSA data shows SR-99 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Delano since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Delano?
The worst month is August: 9.4% of truck crashes in Kern County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Delano?
69 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Kern County since 2015, 1.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Delano 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 Delano?
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.