Placer County, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Placer County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Placer County compares with California
Placer County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Placer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Placer County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 33.8 | 33.2 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 25% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.5% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 11.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.0% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 19% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.6% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 3.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.5% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.5% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Placer County sits below California on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Placer County: 10.5% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Overview
Police reported 1,682 crashes involving commercial trucks in Placer County since 2015: 662 people were injured and 44 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (10.2% of the year) and are lowest in February (6.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.5% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (7.8%).
10.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Placer County is I-80, with 13 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-49 (3), SR-65 (2) and SR-89 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 30 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Their busiest month is November, with 20% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Placer County fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: November is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Placer County.
- 10.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above California; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Placer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Placer County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 13 |
| SR-49 | 3 |
| SR-65 | 2 |
| SR-89 | 2 |
| Baseline Rd | 1 |
| CR-AUBURN Folsom Rd | 1 |
| CR-FORESTHILL Rd | 1 |
| CR-LOZANOS Rd | 1 |
| CR-VIRGINIA Dr | 1 |
| Fiddyment Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Placer County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 13 |
| Rt80/287Ft E Old Nyack Rd | 5 |
| Rt80 Wb/1.2M E Carpenter Flat Rd | 5 |
| Rt 80/1.8Mi W Of Blue Canyon Rd | 5 |
| Rt80/.09M W Cape Horn Rd | 4 |
| Sierra College Blvd | 3 |
| Rt80/3005Ft E Of Ridge Rd | 3 |
| Rt80/246Ft W Of Donner Pass Rd | 3 |
Placer County at a glance
| Population | 433,822 |
| Land area | 1,407.1 sq mi |
| Density | 308 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $119,018 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Placer 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 | — | — | 2.0 |
| 2000s | 86 | — | 2.6 |
| 2010s | 112 | +31% | 1.6 |
| 2020s | 161 | +44% | 4.0 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 86 to 161. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.2 a year in 2016–19, 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Placer County
ZIP codes in Placer County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Placer County
How many truck crashes happen in Placer County?
Placer County has had 1,682 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 662 people and killing 44.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Placer County?
I-80 had 13 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Placer County since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Placer County?
The worst month is March: 10.2% of truck crashes in Placer County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Placer County?
Since 2015, Placer County has reported 30 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.8% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Placer County compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Placer County has 33.8 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Placer County?
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.