Atwater, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Atwater: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Atwater and Merced County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Merced County numbers.
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 sits below California on 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.
Atwater at a glance: SR-99 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Atwater: 9 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 2,923 crashes involving commercial trucks in Merced County since 2015: 1,150 people were injured and 124 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Atwater had 82 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Merced County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 12.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Atwater is SR-99, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-59 (3), G St (2) and Applegate Road (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 27 crashes, 0.9% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Their busiest month is March, with 19% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 3.7 deaths compared with 4.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Atwater fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Merced County.
- Check whether your routes use SR-99, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Merced County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-99 | 9 |
| SR-59 | 3 |
| G St | 2 |
| Applegate Road | 1 |
| CR-ATWATER Jordan Rd | 1 |
| CR-DICKENSON Ferry Rd | 1 |
| CR-EL Capitan Wy | 1 |
| Fox Rd | 1 |
| Olive Av | 1 |
| SR-140 | 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 |
Atwater at a glance
| Population | 32,248 |
| Land area | 6.6 sq mi |
| Density | 4,911 per sq mi |
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 large-truck crashes: 8.2 a year in 2016–19, 9.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Atwater
How many truck crashes happen in Atwater?
Since 2015, 2,923 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Merced County (1,150 injured, 124 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Atwater?
NHTSA data shows SR-99 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Atwater since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Atwater?
Truck crashes in Merced County peak in August, with 12.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Atwater?
Garbage trucks were involved in 27 reported crashes in Merced County since 2015 (0.9% of truck crashes).
How does Atwater compare with California for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 86.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Merced County, vs 33.2 for California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Atwater?
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.