Potomac Park, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Potomac Park: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Potomac Park 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. Where it is higher: 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 Potomac Park since 2015, this page uses Kern County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 9.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 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
SR-99 leads within 10 miles of Potomac Park with 19 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-58 (7), SR-184 (4) and SR-65 (3).
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).
They recorded 9.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 5.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Potomac Park 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.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at December schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 | 19 |
| SR-58 | 7 |
| SR-184 | 4 |
| SR-65 | 3 |
| CR-DI Giorgio Rd | 2 |
| California Ave | 2 |
| Chester Ave | 2 |
| Panama Ln | 2 |
| SR-119 | 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 |
Potomac Park at a glance
| Land area | 1.4 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 |
In the 1990s about 5 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 659. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Potomac Park
How common are truck crashes in Potomac Park?
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 Potomac Park?
Since 2015, SR-99 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Potomac Park: 19.
When do most truck crashes happen in Potomac Park?
August has the most truck crashes in Kern County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Potomac Park?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Kern County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Potomac Park compare with California?
Kern County records 68.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Potomac Park?
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.