North Highlands, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Highlands: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Highlands and Sacramento County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sacramento County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Sacramento County compares with California
Sacramento County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sacramento County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sacramento County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.1 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.2% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 94% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.1% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.3% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.6% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.1% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 10% below the state |
Sacramento County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Sacramento County: 0.1% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 0.9% in California.
Overview
Police reported 5,358 crashes involving commercial trucks in Sacramento County since 2015: 2,356 people were injured and 178 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
North Highlands had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sacramento County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 7.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.6% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 7.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of North Highlands since 2015: I-5 (12), I-80 (12), US-50 (4), Watt Ave (3) and SR-99 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 123 crashes, 2.3% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (12% of them).
They recorded 6.1 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for North Highlands fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sacramento County.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Sacramento County.
- Morning starts matter: 26.1% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than California.
- 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 Sacramento County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 12 |
| I-80 | 12 |
| US-50 | 4 |
| Watt Ave | 3 |
| SR-99 | 2 |
| Alhambra Blvd | 1 |
| Alta Arden Expressway | 1 |
| Arcade Blvd | 1 |
| Auburn Blvd | 1 |
| Baseline Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sacramento County) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 16 |
| Us-50 E/B | 15 |
| Sr-99 N/B | 14 |
| Sr-99 S/B | 13 |
| Sunrise Blvd | 10 |
| Us-50 W/B | 10 |
| Madison Ave | 7 |
| I-80 | 7 |
North Highlands at a glance
| Land area | 8.8 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95660) | $68,235 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95660) | $352,148 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sacramento 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 | 1 | — | 8.3 |
| 2000s | 307 | +30620% | 8.7 |
| 2010s | 386 | +26% | 8.8 |
| 2020s | 478 | +24% | 12.6 |
In the 1990s about 1 truck crash a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 478. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 14.0 a year in 2016–19, 12.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Highlands
How common are truck crashes in North Highlands?
Since 2015, 5,358 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sacramento County (2,356 injured, 178 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in North Highlands?
Truck crashes in Sacramento County peak in October, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in North Highlands?
Garbage trucks were involved in 123 reported crashes in Sacramento County since 2015 (2.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in North Highlands compared with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Sacramento County has 29.1 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in North Highlands?
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.