Santa Clarita, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Santa Clarita: 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
5.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Clarita compares with California
Santa Clarita against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Clarita stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Santa Clarita | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 24.3 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 27% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 42% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.3% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.0× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.8% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.2% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 32.0% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Santa Clarita has lower values than California for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for Santa Clarita: 1 in 31 crashes involve a garbage truck (20 since 2015), vs 1.6% across California.
Overview
Police reported 635 crashes involving commercial trucks in Santa Clarita since 2015: 279 people were injured and 17 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 9.6% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.6%).
November through March accounts for 42.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 7.2% of truck crashes.
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
I-5 leads within 15 miles of Santa Clarita with 15 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-210 (7), SR-118 (5) and SR-14 (5).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 20 crashes, 3.1% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (15% of them).
They recorded 5.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Santa Clarita fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Santa Clarita.
- Check whether your routes use I-5, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Santa Clarita
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 15 |
| I-210 | 7 |
| SR-118 | 5 |
| SR-14 | 5 |
| SR-126 | 4 |
| I-405 | 2 |
| Roscoe Blvd | 2 |
| Roxford St | 2 |
| Balboa Bl | 1 |
| Bradley Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Clarita) |
|---|---|
| Sr-14 S/B | 4 |
| I-5 | 3 |
| I-5 N/B Golden State Freeway | 3 |
| Rt5/.5M S Calgrove Bl | 3 |
| Rt5 Nb/50Ft N Magic Mountain Pkwy | 3 |
| Rt5/.2M N Lyons Av | 3 |
| Rt5/2760Ft S Valencia Bl | 3 |
| Sr-14 N/B | 3 |
Santa Clarita at a glance
| Population | 229,159 |
| Land area | 73.6 sq mi |
| Density | 3,113 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Clarita 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 | 31 | — | 55.4 |
| 2010s | 45 | +44% | 48.7 |
| 2020s | 55 | +21% | 61.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 31 a year in the 2000s and 55 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 54.0 a year in 2016–19 and 61.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Santa Clarita
How common are truck crashes in Santa Clarita?
Since 2015, 635 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Clarita (279 injured, 17 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Santa Clarita?
I-5 had 15 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Santa Clarita since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Santa Clarita?
The worst month is March: 9.6% of truck crashes in Santa Clarita happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Santa Clarita?
Since 2015, Santa Clarita has reported 20 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
How does Santa Clarita compare with California for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Santa Clarita has 24.3 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Santa Clarita?
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.