Merced County, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Merced County: 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
3.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Merced County compares with California
Merced County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Merced County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Merced County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 86.4 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 2.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 41% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.3% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 66% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.9% | 23.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.1% | 6.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.0% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 31.8% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Merced County has lower values than California for injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
Merced County at a glance: SR-152 most fatal truck crashes in Merced County: 17 since 2015.
Overview
Merced County has recorded 2,923 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,150 people injured and 124 killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (12.4% of the year) and are lowest in February (6.4%).
November through March accounts for 36.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (7.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.3% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
SR-152 leads in Merced County with 17 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-5 (14), SR-99 (12) and SR-59 (8).
Garbage & waste trucks
27 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.9% share (California: 1.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (19% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 3.7 deaths compared with 4.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Merced County fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-152; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Merced County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Merced County) |
|---|---|
| SR-152 | 17 |
| I-5 | 14 |
| SR-99 | 12 |
| SR-59 | 8 |
| SR-165 | 6 |
| SR-33 | 6 |
| SR-140 | 5 |
| Bradbury Rd | 2 |
| G St | 2 |
| Applegate Road | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Merced County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-99 S/B | 23 |
| I-5 | 18 |
| SR-165 | 13 |
| Sr-99 N/B | 12 |
| Rt152/Volta Rd | 8 |
| SR-152 | 7 |
| Sr-152 W/B | 7 |
| SR-59 | 6 |
Merced County at a glance
| Population | 296,774 |
| Land area | 1,938.0 sq mi |
| Density | 153 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $65,817 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Merced 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 | 2 | — | 7.2 |
| 2000s | 142 | +7025% | 8.8 |
| 2010s | 198 | +39% | 6.6 |
| 2020s | 268 | +36% | 9.2 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 268. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 8.2 a year in 2016–19 and 9.2 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Merced County
ZIP codes in Merced County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Merced County
How many truck crashes happen in Merced County?
2,923 truck crashes have been reported in Merced County since 2015, with 124 deaths and 1,150 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Merced County?
SR-152 had 17 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Merced County since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Merced County?
Truck crashes in Merced County peak in August, with 12.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Merced County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 27 reported crashes in Merced County since 2015 (0.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Merced County compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Merced County has 86.4 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Merced County?
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.