Santa Margarita, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Santa Margarita: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Santa Margarita 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 has lower values than California for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Santa Margarita at a glance: US-101 2 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Santa Margarita.
Overview
San Luis Obispo County has recorded 920 truck crashes since 2015, with 371 people injured and 30 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 5 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Santa Margarita 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%).
November through March accounts for 36.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (7.4%).
0.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-101 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (2). After it: CR-PARKHILL Rd (1), SR-193 (1) and W Pozo Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
15 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.6% share (California: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Santa Margarita fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-101, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 San Luis Obispo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 2 |
| CR-PARKHILL Rd | 1 |
| SR-193 | 1 |
| W Pozo Rd | 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 |
Santa Margarita at a glance
| Land area | 0.5 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 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 56 to 80. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 3.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Santa Margarita
How many truck accidents are there in Santa Margarita?
920 truck crashes have been reported in San Luis Obispo County since 2015, with 30 deaths and 371 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Santa Margarita?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Santa Margarita since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Santa Margarita?
Truck crashes in San Luis Obispo County peak in September, with 10.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Santa Margarita?
Garbage trucks were involved in 15 reported crashes in San Luis Obispo County since 2015 (1.6% of truck crashes).
How does Santa Margarita compare with California for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, San Luis Obispo County has 28.4 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Santa Margarita?
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.