Rancho Santa Margarita, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rancho Santa Margarita: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita and Orange County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Orange County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Orange County compares with California
Orange County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Orange County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Orange County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 19.8 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 40% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 90% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 23.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.8% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 27% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.7% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Compared with California, Orange County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share.
Orange County at a glance: 0.1% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Overview
Since 2015, 7,193 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Orange County. They injured 3,142 people and killed 167.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 2 truck crashes every day.
Rancho Santa Margarita had 13 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Orange County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 7.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.2% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (7.3%).
Road surface: 0.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
I-5 leads within 10 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita with 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-74 (4), Camino Capistrano (1) and Lake Forest Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 128 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (14%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 6.5, vs 2.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Rancho Santa Margarita fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Orange County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-5; 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.
- 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 Orange County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 7 |
| SR-74 | 4 |
| Camino Capistrano | 1 |
| Lake Forest Dr | 1 |
| Ortega Hwy | 1 |
| SR-241 | 1 |
| Saddleback Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Orange County) |
|---|---|
| SR-91 | 43 |
| I-5 | 40 |
| SR-57 | 26 |
| SR-55 | 18 |
| Sr-91 W/B | 14 |
| Sr-91 E/B | 11 |
| I-405 | 9 |
| SR-241 | 8 |
Rancho Santa Margarita at a glance
| Population | 46,353 |
| Land area | 12.9 sq mi |
| Density | 3,585 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 92688) | $152,528 |
| Median home value (ZIP 92688) | $909,740 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Orange 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 | 5 | — | 9.9 |
| 2000s | 444 | +8772% | 11.4 |
| 2010s | 627 | +41% | 10.2 |
| 2020s | 592 | -6% | 10.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 592. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 14.8 a year in 2016–19, 10.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rancho Santa Margarita
How many truck accidents are there in Rancho Santa Margarita?
7,193 truck crashes have been reported in Orange County since 2015, with 167 deaths and 3,142 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Rancho Santa Margarita?
Since 2015, I-5 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita: 7.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita?
Truck crashes in Orange County peak in March, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Rancho Santa Margarita?
Garbage trucks were involved in 128 reported crashes in Orange County since 2015 (1.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Orange County has 19.8 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Rancho Santa Margarita?
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.