Lake of the Pines, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake of the Pines: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake of the Pines and Placer County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Placer County numbers.
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 |
Compared with California, Placer County is lower 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.
The headline for Placer County: 10.5% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 0.9% across California.
Overview
Police reported 1,682 crashes involving commercial trucks in Placer County since 2015: 662 people were injured and 44 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Lake of the Pines since 2015, this page uses Placer County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 10.2% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.5% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 7.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 10.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-49 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). Next come I-80 (2), CR-FORESTHILL Rd (1) and CR-VIRGINIA Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
30 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.8% share (California: 1.6%).
Their busiest month is November, with 20% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Lake of the Pines fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-49 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- With 10.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above California), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Placer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-49 | 4 |
| I-80 | 2 |
| CR-FORESTHILL Rd | 1 |
| CR-VIRGINIA Dr | 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 |
Lake of the Pines at a glance
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95722) | $125,625 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95722) | $693,275 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.2 a year in 2016–19 and 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake of the Pines
How many truck crashes happen in Lake of the Pines?
1,682 truck crashes have been reported in Placer County since 2015, with 44 deaths and 662 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Lake of the Pines?
SR-49 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Lake of the Pines since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Lake of the Pines?
The worst month is March: 10.2% of truck crashes in Placer County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Lake of the Pines?
30 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Placer County since 2015, 1.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lake of the Pines compared with California?
The yearly rate is 33.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Placer County, vs 33.2 for California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lake of the Pines?
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.