Searles Valley, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Searles Valley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Searles Valley and San Bernardino County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use San Bernardino County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How San Bernardino County compares with California
San Bernardino County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where San Bernardino County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | San Bernardino County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 66.4 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 47% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 39% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.9% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 15% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.4% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 17% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 36.8% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
San Bernardino 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.
San Bernardino County at a glance: 1 in 115 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.9%, vs 1.6% in California.
Overview
San Bernardino County has recorded 16,987 truck crashes since 2015, with 7,216 people injured and 617 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 4 truck crashes every day.
Searles Valley had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use San Bernardino County numbers.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.1% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.8%).
November through March accounts for 41.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 5.4% of truck crashes.
0.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Searles Valley since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 145 crashes, 0.9% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (12%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.8 deaths compared with 3.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Searles Valley fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in San Bernardino County.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in San Bernardino County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 San Bernardino County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (San Bernardino County) |
|---|---|
| I-15 | 67 |
| I-40 | 35 |
| I-10 W/B (San Bernardino Fwy) | 29 |
| I-10 E/B (San Bernardino Fwy) | 27 |
| Sr-60 E/B (Pomona Fwy) | 19 |
| I-10 | 16 |
| US-395 | 14 |
| I-15 N/B (Ontario Fwy) | 14 |
Searles Valley at a glance
| Land area | 10.5 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in San Bernardino 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 | 6 | — | 32.0 |
| 2000s | 850 | +14065% | 34.8 |
| 2010s | 1,161 | +37% | 30.6 |
| 2020s | 1,571 | +35% | 43.4 |
In the 1990s about 6 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 1,571. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 35.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 43.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Searles Valley
How many truck crashes happen in Searles Valley?
Since 2015, 16,987 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in San Bernardino County (7,216 injured, 617 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Searles Valley?
The worst month is August: 9.1% of truck crashes in San Bernardino County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Searles Valley?
Garbage trucks were involved in 145 reported crashes in San Bernardino County since 2015 (0.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Searles Valley compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, San Bernardino County has 66.4 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Searles Valley?
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.