Pismo Beach, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pismo Beach: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use San Luis Obispo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 920 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How San Luis Obispo County compares with California
San Luis Obispo County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where San Luis Obispo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | San Luis Obispo County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 28.4 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 14% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 1.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.3% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 63% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.7% | 23.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.0% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.1% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 24.9% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
San Luis Obispo County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Pismo Beach at a glance: US-101 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Pismo Beach.
Overview
Since 2015, 920 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in San Luis Obispo County. They injured 371 people and killed 30.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 5 days.
Only 40 truck crashes were reported in Pismo Beach since 2015; patterns below come from San Luis Obispo County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (10.4% of the year) and are lowest in January (5.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.1% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 7.4% of truck crashes.
0.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Pismo Beach is US-101, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come South Higuera St (1) and Trouville Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
15 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.6% share (California: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Pismo Beach fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in San Luis Obispo County.
- Check whether your routes use US-101, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 San Luis Obispo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 3 |
| South Higuera St | 1 |
| Trouville Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (San Luis Obispo County) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 15 |
| SR-1 | 8 |
| SR-46E | 5 |
| Rt101/Wellsona Rd | 4 |
| SR-41 | 3 |
| Rt46/4220Ft W Lucy Brown Rd | 3 |
| Rt166/4M E Alamo Creek Rd | 3 |
| Creston Rd | 2 |
Pismo Beach at a glance
| Population | 7,984 |
| Land area | 3.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,283 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in San Luis Obispo 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 | — | — | 3.2 |
| 2000s | 56 | — | 2.6 |
| 2010s | 72 | +28% | 2.6 |
| 2020s | 80 | +12% | 2.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 56 a year in the 2000s and 80 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pismo Beach
How many truck accidents are there in Pismo Beach?
920 truck crashes have been reported in San Luis Obispo County since 2015, with 30 deaths and 371 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Pismo Beach?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Pismo Beach since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Pismo Beach?
The worst month is September: 10.4% of truck crashes in San Luis Obispo County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Pismo Beach?
15 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in San Luis Obispo County since 2015, 1.6% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Pismo Beach compare with California?
San Luis Obispo County records 28.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Pismo Beach?
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.