Kings County, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kings County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 1,086 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Kings County compares with California
Kings County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kings County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kings County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 61.0 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 30% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 89% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.8% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 2.6% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 60% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.6% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 30.0% | 29.1% | 24.8% | same |
Kings County sits below California on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Kings County: 6.8 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.6 across California.
Overview
Police reported 1,086 crashes involving commercial trucks in Kings County since 2015: 545 people were injured and 71 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (5.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.6% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (9.5%).
Road surface: 0.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
SR-41 leads in Kings County with 16 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-43 (9), SR-198 (6) and I-5 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
13 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.2% share (California: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Kings County fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Kings County.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-41; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 28.8% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Kings County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Kings County) |
|---|---|
| SR-41 | 16 |
| SR-43 | 9 |
| SR-198 | 6 |
| I-5 | 4 |
| 6th Ave | 2 |
| Grangeville Blvd | 2 |
| 12 3/4 Ave | 1 |
| Avenal Cutoff Rd | 1 |
| CR-14TH Ave | 1 |
| CR-18TH Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kings County) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 10 |
| SR-41 | 7 |
| Rt198/6Th Av | 6 |
| Sr-198 W/B | 5 |
| SR-43 | 5 |
| Rt198/2Nd Av | 4 |
| 6Th Av/Redding Av | 3 |
| 18Th Av/Kansas Av | 3 |
Kings County at a glance
| Population | 154,913 |
| Land area | 1,391.0 sq mi |
| Density | 111 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $71,806 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kings 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 | — | — | 4.2 |
| 2000s | 65 | — | 5.6 |
| 2010s | 81 | +25% | 4.1 |
| 2020s | 95 | +17% | 6.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 65 a year in the 2000s and 95 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 4.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Kings County
ZIP codes in Kings County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Kings County
How common are truck crashes in Kings County?
Kings County has had 1,086 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 545 people and killing 71.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Kings County?
Since 2015, SR-41 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Kings County: 16.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Kings County?
August has the most truck crashes in Kings County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Kings County?
Since 2015, Kings County has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.2% of its truck crashes.
How does Kings County compare with California for truck crashes?
Kings County records 61.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Kings County?
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.