Carpinteria, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carpinteria: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carpinteria and Santa Barbara County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Santa Barbara County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Barbara County compares with California
Santa Barbara County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Barbara County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Santa Barbara County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 23.6 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 29% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.5% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 44% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.5% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.5% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.4% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 7% below the state |
| After dark | 23.8% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Santa Barbara County has lower values than California for crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above California on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Carpinteria: US-101 5 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Carpinteria.
Overview
Santa Barbara County has recorded 1,199 truck crashes since 2015, with 461 people injured and 47 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
With 26 truck crashes reported in Carpinteria since 2015, this page uses Santa Barbara County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 10.4% of the yearly total, while January has the fewest (7.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 37.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
US-101 leads within 10 miles of Carpinteria with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-150 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
29 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.4% share (California: 1.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (17% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 4.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Carpinteria fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-101 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Santa Barbara County.
- Morning starts matter: 27.5% 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
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 Santa Barbara County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 5 |
| SR-150 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Barbara County) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 18 |
| Us-101 N/B | 8 |
| Rt166/.37M E Alisos Canyon Rd | 5 |
| Sr1/.2M S California Bl | 3 |
| Rt154/Rt246 | 3 |
| Rt101/.2M N El Capitan State Beach Rd | 3 |
| Rt101 Nb O/R/70Ft S Nicholson Av | 3 |
| Rt1/2865Ft S Rt246 | 3 |
Carpinteria at a glance
| Population | 12,876 |
| Land area | 2.6 sq mi |
| Density | 4,975 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Barbara 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 |
| 2000s | 70 | — | 3.7 |
| 2010s | 95 | +36% | 3.3 |
| 2020s | 106 | +12% | 2.6 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 70 to 106. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.2 a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carpinteria
How many truck accidents are there in Carpinteria?
Since 2015, 1,199 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Barbara County (461 injured, 47 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Carpinteria?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Carpinteria since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Carpinteria?
October has the most truck crashes in Santa Barbara County, 10.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Carpinteria?
Since 2015, Santa Barbara County has reported 29 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.4% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Carpinteria compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Santa Barbara County has 23.6 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Carpinteria?
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.