Downey, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Downey: 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 545 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Downey compares with California
Downey against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Downey stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Downey | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 43.4 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 78% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 25% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.1% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 14% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 2.1% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 68% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.4% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.5% | 29.1% | 24.8% | same |
Downey sits below California on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Downey: 0.0% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 0.9% across California.
Overview
Police reported 545 crashes involving commercial trucks in Downey since 2015: 183 people were injured and 4 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 8 days.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 11.6% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (6.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.4% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (8.6%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.0% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
I-5 leads within 15 miles of Downey with 26 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-10 (20), SR-60 (18) and I-405 (16).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 13 of the truck crashes here, or 2.4%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Route planning tips for Downey fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-5 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Downey
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 26 |
| I-10 | 20 |
| SR-60 | 18 |
| I-405 | 16 |
| I-605 | 16 |
| SR-91 | 14 |
| I-105 | 11 |
| I-710 | 11 |
| I-110 | 8 |
| Alameda St | 7 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Downey) |
|---|---|
| I-105 | 5 |
| Rt605/1000Ft S Florence Av | 4 |
| Rt5/200Ft S Lakewood Bl | 4 |
| Rt5/1000Ft S Lakewood Bl | 4 |
| Rt5/1000Ft S Paramount Bl | 4 |
| Interstate 105 Century Freeway | 3 |
| Paramount Bl/Phlox St | 3 |
| Rt5/1500Ft S Lakewood Bl | 3 |
Downey at a glance
| Population | 109,368 |
| Land area | 12.4 sq mi |
| Density | 8,814 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 90241) | $88,006 |
| Median home value (ZIP 90241) | $823,974 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Downey 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 | — | — | 62.3 |
| 2000s | 32 | — | 55.4 |
| 2010s | 46 | +46% | 48.7 |
| 2020s | 44 | -5% | 61.8 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 32 to 44. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 54.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 61.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Downey
How many truck accidents are there in Downey?
545 truck crashes have been reported in Downey since 2015, with 4 deaths and 183 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Downey?
NHTSA data shows I-5 with 26 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Downey since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Downey?
The worst month is July: 11.6% of truck crashes in Downey happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Downey?
Since 2015, Downey has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.4% of its truck crashes.
How does Downey compare with California for truck crashes?
Downey records 43.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Downey?
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.