Chowchilla, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chowchilla: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chowchilla and Madera County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Madera County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 1,266 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Madera County compares with California
Madera County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Madera County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Madera County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 66.7 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 25% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.7% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 60% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.3% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 65% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.1% | 23.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.6% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.5% | 29.1% | 24.8% | same |
Madera County sits below California on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above California on crashes per 100k residents / yr and deaths per 100 crashes.
What stands out in Madera County: 1 in 152 crashes involve a garbage truck (8 since 2015), vs 1.6% across California.
Overview
Police reported 1,266 crashes involving commercial trucks in Madera County since 2015: 425 people were injured and 52 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Chowchilla had 18 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Madera County numbers.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 11.1% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.6% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (6.6%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.3% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Chowchilla is SR-152, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-99 (3), Avenue 21 (2) and Ave 21 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
8 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.6% share (California: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Chowchilla fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-152, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 Madera County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-152 | 4 |
| SR-99 | 3 |
| Avenue 21 | 2 |
| Ave 21 | 1 |
| CR-MINTURN Road | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Madera County) |
|---|---|
| SR-99 | 13 |
| Sr-99 S/B | 11 |
| Avenue 12 | 7 |
| Sr-99 N/B | 7 |
| Rt152/Road 9 | 5 |
| Avenue 7 | 4 |
| Rt 152 Wb/400Ft W Of Road 11 | 4 |
| Rt99/500Ft N Cleveland Av | 4 |
Chowchilla at a glance
| Population | 19,191 |
| Land area | 11.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,663 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 93610) | $68,083 |
| Median home value (ZIP 93610) | $371,475 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Madera 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 | — | — | 4.7 |
| 2000s | 73 | — | 4.4 |
| 2010s | 86 | +17% | 2.9 |
| 2020s | 120 | +40% | 3.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 73 a year in the 2000s and 120 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 3.2 a year in 2016–19 and 3.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chowchilla
How many truck accidents are there in Chowchilla?
Since 2015, 1,266 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Madera County (425 injured, 52 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Chowchilla?
Since 2015, SR-152 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Chowchilla: 4.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Chowchilla?
December has the most truck crashes in Madera County, 11.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Chowchilla?
Garbage trucks were involved in 8 reported crashes in Madera County since 2015 (0.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Chowchilla compared with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Madera County has 66.7 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Chowchilla?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.