Ukiah, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ukiah: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ukiah and Mendocino County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mendocino County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 543 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Mendocino County compares with California
Mendocino County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mendocino County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mendocino County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.4 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.5 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 54% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.7% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 2.9× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.1% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.8% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 2.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.4% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.7% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 22% below the state |
Mendocino County sits below California on garbage-truck share and after dark. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Mendocino County: 2.7% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Overview
Since 2015, 543 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Mendocino County. They injured 228 people and killed 31.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 8 days.
Ukiah had 15 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Mendocino County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 9.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-20 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). After it: SR-222 (1), Talmage Rd (1) and US-101 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
5 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.9% share (California: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Ukiah fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-20 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 27.1% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than California.
- 2.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above California; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Mendocino County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-20 | 3 |
| SR-222 | 1 |
| Talmage Rd | 1 |
| US-101 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mendocino County) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 12 |
| SR-1 | 5 |
| SR-162 | 3 |
| SR-128 | 3 |
| Rt20/.3M E Rd 144 | 3 |
| N State St/.1M N Pomo Dr | 2 |
| Orr Springs Rd/2.3Mi W Of Pinoleville Rd | 2 |
| Rt1/.51M S Navarro Bluff Rd | 2 |
Ukiah at a glance
| Population | 16,067 |
| Land area | 5.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,928 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mendocino 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 | 35 | — | 2.7 |
| 2010s | 42 | +18% | 2.1 |
| 2020s | 50 | +19% | 2.8 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 35 to 50. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.0 a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ukiah
How common are truck crashes in Ukiah?
543 truck crashes have been reported in Mendocino County since 2015, with 31 deaths and 228 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Ukiah?
Since 2015, SR-20 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ukiah: 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ukiah?
Truck crashes in Mendocino County peak in October, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ukiah?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mendocino County since 2015, 0.9% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Ukiah compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Mendocino County has 53.4 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Ukiah?
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.