Eastern Goleta Valley, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Eastern Goleta Valley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Eastern Goleta Valley 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 |
Compared with California, Santa Barbara County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Eastern Goleta Valley: US-101 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Eastern Goleta Valley: 5 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,199 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Santa Barbara County. They injured 461 people and killed 47.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Eastern Goleta Valley since 2015, this page uses Santa Barbara County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.4% of the year) and are lowest in January (7.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 37.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.5% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-101 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). After it: State St (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).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 4.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Eastern Goleta Valley 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.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 27.5% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Santa Barbara County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 5 |
| State St | 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 |
Eastern Goleta Valley at a glance
| Land area | 16.6 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 93111) | $144,353 |
| Median home value (ZIP 93111) | $1,302,185 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 70 a year in the 2000s and 106 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, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Eastern Goleta Valley
How common are truck crashes in Eastern Goleta Valley?
Santa Barbara County has had 1,199 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 461 people and killing 47.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Eastern Goleta Valley?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Eastern Goleta Valley since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Eastern Goleta Valley?
The worst month is October: 10.4% of truck crashes in Santa Barbara County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Eastern Goleta Valley?
29 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Santa Barbara County since 2015, 2.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Eastern Goleta Valley compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Santa Barbara County has 23.6 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Eastern Goleta 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.