Tehachapi, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Tehachapi: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Tehachapi 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.
Kern County at a glance: December garbage-truck crashes peak in December (17% of the year's total).
Overview
Kern County has recorded 7,248 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,414 people injured and 403 killed.
That averages about 2 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
Only 23 truck crashes were reported in Tehachapi since 2015; patterns below come from Kern County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 9.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 7.1%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.3% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, 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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Tehachapi is SR-58, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by CR-GOLDEN Hills Blvd (1), CR-TEHACHAPI Willow Springs Rd (1) and E Tehachapi Bl (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
69 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.0% share (California: 1.6%).
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 Tehachapi fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Kern County.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-58; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 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
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 | 9 |
| CR-GOLDEN Hills Blvd | 1 |
| CR-TEHACHAPI Willow Springs Rd | 1 |
| E Tehachapi Bl | 1 |
| Highline Rd | 1 |
| Oak Creek Rd | 1 |
| Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd | 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 |
Tehachapi at a glance
| Population | 11,114 |
| Land area | 10.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,082 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 93561) | $87,357 |
| Median home value (ZIP 93561) | $408,289 |
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 Tehachapi
How common are truck crashes in Tehachapi?
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 Tehachapi?
Since 2015, SR-58 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Tehachapi: 9.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Tehachapi?
Truck crashes in Kern County peak in August, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Tehachapi?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Kern County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Tehachapi 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 Tehachapi?
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.