Los Alamos, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Los Alamos: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Los Alamos 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 sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Santa Barbara County at a glance: 1 in 41 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.4%, against 1.6% for California.
Overview
Police reported 1,199 crashes involving commercial trucks in Santa Barbara County since 2015: 461 people were injured and 47 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Los Alamos 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%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 37.4% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, 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
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Los Alamos since 2015: US-101 (2), E Clark Ave (1) and SR-246 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
29 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.4% share (California: 1.6%).
Their busiest month is January, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 4.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Los Alamos fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Santa Barbara County.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- 27.5% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 | 2 |
| E Clark Ave | 1 |
| SR-246 | 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 |
Los Alamos at a glance
| Land area | 0.9 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 93440) | $79,167 |
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 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 Los Alamos
How many truck crashes happen in Los Alamos?
Santa Barbara County has had 1,199 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 461 people and killing 47.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Los Alamos?
The worst month is October: 10.4% of truck crashes in Santa Barbara County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Los Alamos?
Since 2015, Santa Barbara County has reported 29 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.4% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Los Alamos compare with California?
The yearly rate is 23.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Santa Barbara County, vs 33.2 for California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Los Alamos?
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.