Montecito, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Montecito: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Montecito 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. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Montecito: US-101 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Montecito: 7 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.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Montecito had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Santa Barbara County numbers.
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.
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
Within this area, US-101 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). After it: State St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 29 crashes, 2.4% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (17%).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 4.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Montecito 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.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 27.5% of truck crashes here, more than California; adjust start times where you can.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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 | 7 |
| 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 |
Montecito at a glance
| Land area | 9.2 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 large-truck crashes: 3.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Montecito
How common are truck crashes in Montecito?
Since 2015, 1,199 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Barbara County (461 injured, 47 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Montecito?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Montecito since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Montecito?
The worst month is October: 10.4% of truck crashes in Santa Barbara County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Montecito?
29 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Santa Barbara County since 2015, 2.4% of all truck crashes.
How does Montecito compare with California for truck crashes?
Santa Barbara County records 23.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Montecito?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.