University of California-Merced, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in University of California-Merced: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in University of California-Merced 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.
What stands out in University of California-Merced: SR-99 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of University of California-Merced: 5 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,923 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Merced County. They injured 1,150 people and killed 124.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
University of California-Merced 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
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%).
Road surface: 0.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
SR-99 leads within 10 miles of University of California-Merced with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-59 (3), G St (2) and SR-140 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 27 of the truck crashes here, or 0.9%, compared with 1.6% in 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 University of California-Merced fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Merced County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-99 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.
- 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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-99 | 5 |
| SR-59 | 3 |
| G St | 2 |
| SR-140 | 2 |
| CR-DICKENSON Ferry Rd | 1 |
| E Childs Ave | 1 |
| Fox 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 |
University of California-Merced at a glance
| Land area | 0.7 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95340) | $71,193 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95340) | $399,834 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 268. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. 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 University of California-Merced
How many truck crashes happen in University of California-Merced?
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 University of California-Merced?
Since 2015, SR-99 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of University of California-Merced: 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in University of California-Merced?
Truck crashes in Merced County peak in August, with 12.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in University of California-Merced?
Garbage trucks were involved in 27 reported crashes in Merced County since 2015 (0.9% of truck crashes).
How does University of California-Merced compare with California for truck crashes?
Merced County records 86.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in University of California-Merced?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.