McFarland, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in McFarland: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in McFarland 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 McFarland: 2.0× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of McFarland (1.5 → 3.0).
Overview
Kern County has recorded 7,248 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,414 people injured and 403 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 2 truck crashes a day.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in McFarland 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%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.3% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (6.5%).
Road surface: 0.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of McFarland since 2015: SR-43 (4), SR-46 (4), SR-99 (4), Benner Ave (1) and CR-46 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 69 of the truck crashes here, or 1.0%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Their busiest month is December, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 9.0 deaths compared with 5.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for McFarland fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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-43 | 4 |
| SR-46 | 4 |
| SR-99 | 4 |
| Benner Ave | 1 |
| CR-46 | 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 |
McFarland at a glance
| Population | 14,365 |
| Land area | 6.3 sq mi |
| Density | 2,265 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 93250) | $54,051 |
| Median home value (ZIP 93250) | $270,112 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 5 a year in the 1990s and 659 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 25.0 a year in 2016–19, 28.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about McFarland
How many truck accidents are there in McFarland?
7,248 truck crashes have been reported in Kern County since 2015, with 403 deaths and 3,414 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in McFarland?
The worst month is August: 9.4% of truck crashes in Kern County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in McFarland?
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 McFarland compared with California?
Kern County records 68.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in McFarland?
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.