McSwain, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in McSwain: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in McSwain 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 has lower values than California for injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
McSwain at a glance: SR-99 7 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of McSwain.
Overview
Police reported 2,923 crashes involving commercial trucks in Merced County since 2015: 1,150 people were injured and 124 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
McSwain had 0 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%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 36.0% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 7.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.3% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
SR-99 leads within 10 miles of McSwain with 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-59 (6), G St (2) and Applegate Road (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 27 of the truck crashes here, or 0.9%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Their busiest month is March, with 19% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.7, vs 4.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for McSwain fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-99 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 | 7 |
| SR-59 | 6 |
| G St | 2 |
| Applegate Road | 1 |
| CR-ATWATER Jordan Rd | 1 |
| CR-DICKENSON Ferry Rd | 1 |
| CR-EL Capitan Wy | 1 |
| E Childs Ave | 1 |
| Fox Rd | 1 |
| Olive Av | 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 |
McSwain at a glance
| Land area | 6.0 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95301) | $68,349 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95301) | $389,597 |
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. NHTSA counts 8.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 9.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about McSwain
How many truck accidents are there in McSwain?
2,923 truck crashes have been reported in Merced County since 2015, with 124 deaths and 1,150 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in McSwain?
SR-99 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of McSwain since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in McSwain?
Truck crashes in Merced County peak in August, with 12.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in McSwain?
27 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Merced County since 2015, 0.9% of all truck crashes.
How does McSwain compare with California for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Merced County has 86.4 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in McSwain?
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.