Santa Nella, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Santa Nella: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Santa Nella 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 stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
What stands out in Santa Nella: 1.9× fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Santa Nella per year, 2020–24 vs 2016–19 (3.4 vs 1.8).
Overview
Merced County has recorded 2,923 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,150 people injured and 124 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Santa Nella 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%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.0% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across 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
I-5 leads within 10 miles of Santa Nella with 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-152 (8), SR-33 (4) and Henry Miller Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 27 crashes, 0.9% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
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 Santa Nella fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-5 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Merced County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 10 |
| SR-152 | 8 |
| SR-33 | 4 |
| Henry Miller Ave | 1 |
| Ingomar Rd | 1 |
| Volta Rd | 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 |
Santa Nella at a glance
| Land area | 4.7 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95322) | $65,761 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95322) | $438,680 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 268 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 8.2 a year in 2016–19 and 9.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Santa Nella
How many truck accidents are there in Santa Nella?
Merced County has had 2,923 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,150 people and killing 124.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Santa Nella?
I-5 had 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Santa Nella since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Santa Nella?
Truck crashes in Merced County peak in August, with 12.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Santa Nella?
Since 2015, Merced County has reported 27 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Santa Nella compare with California?
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 Santa Nella?
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.