Novato, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Novato: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Novato and Marin County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Marin County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
21 of 487 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Marin County compares with California
Marin County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Marin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Marin County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 16.3 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 51% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 16% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 54% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.7% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.7% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.4% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 16.3% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 44% below the state |
Marin County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above California on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Marin County: 1 in 24 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.1%, vs 1.6% in California.
Overview
Marin County has recorded 487 truck crashes since 2015, with 182 people injured and 20 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
Novato had 55 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Marin County numbers.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 10.1% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.4% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 11.7% of truck crashes.
0.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Novato is US-101, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-116 (2), SR-37 (2) and 3rd St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 21 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (19% of them).
Route planning tips for Novato fleets
- Plan May schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Marin County.
- Check whether your routes use US-101, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 31.7% of truck crashes here, more than California; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Marin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 3 |
| SR-116 | 2 |
| SR-37 | 2 |
| 3rd St | 1 |
| CR-LAKEVILLE Road | 1 |
| CR-LUCAS Vly Rd | 1 |
| Fourth St | 1 |
| Lakeville Road | 1 |
| Loma Linda Ave | 1 |
| Los Ranchitos Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Marin County) |
|---|---|
| Us-101 S/B | 9 |
| Bel Marin Keys Bl/Nave Dr | 2 |
| Caledonia St/Pine St | 2 |
| Chileno Valley Rd | 2 |
| N. Knoll Rd | 2 |
| Novato Bl/.4Mi W Of Copper Hill Wy | 2 |
| Rt101/.1M S Alameda Del Prado | 2 |
| Rt101/.1M S San Antonio Rd | 2 |
Novato at a glance
| Population | 52,311 |
| Land area | 27.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,911 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 94949) | $120,758 |
| Median home value (ZIP 94949) | $1,145,248 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Marin 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 | — | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 33 | — | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 43 | +29% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 38 | -12% | 1.2 |
In the 2000s about 33 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 38. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Novato
How many truck crashes happen in Novato?
Marin County has had 487 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 182 people and killing 20.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Novato?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Novato since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Novato?
The worst month is May: 10.1% of truck crashes in Marin County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Novato?
Garbage trucks were involved in 21 reported crashes in Marin County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
How does Novato compare with California for truck crashes?
Marin County records 16.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Novato?
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.