Desert Center, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Desert Center: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Desert Center and Riverside County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Riverside 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 3.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Riverside County compares with California
Riverside County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Riverside County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Riverside County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.0 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 26% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 80% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.5% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 9% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.7% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 34.5% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Riverside County sits below California on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
Desert Center at a glance: I-10 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Desert Center: 10 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 11,638 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Riverside County. They injured 5,353 people and killed 418.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 3 truck crashes every day.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Desert Center since 2015, this page uses Riverside County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.1% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.7%).
November through March accounts for 40.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 6.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-10 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (10). Next come SR-177 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 140 of the truck crashes here, or 1.2%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in October (14% of them).
They recorded 3.7 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Desert Center fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-10, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: October is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Riverside County.
- 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 Riverside County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 10 |
| SR-177 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Riverside County) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 58 |
| I-15 | 37 |
| Sr-60 E/B | 37 |
| Sr-60 W/B | 30 |
| Sr-91 E/B | 29 |
| I-215 | 25 |
| SR-60 | 17 |
| SR-91 | 15 |
Desert Center at a glance
| Land area | 30.4 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 92239) | $73,393 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Riverside 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 | 3 | — | 23.9 |
| 2000s | 588 | +19483% | 22.6 |
| 2010s | 739 | +26% | 19.9 |
| 2020s | 1,115 | +51% | 29.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 1,115 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 26.2 a year in 2016–19, 29.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Desert Center
How many truck crashes happen in Desert Center?
Since 2015, 11,638 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Riverside County (5,353 injured, 418 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Desert Center?
I-10 had 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Desert Center since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Desert Center?
August has the most truck crashes in Riverside County, 9.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Desert Center?
Since 2015, Riverside County has reported 140 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.2% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Desert Center compared with California?
The yearly rate is 40.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Riverside County, vs 33.2 for California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Desert Center?
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.