Solvang, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Solvang: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Solvang 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 stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Santa Barbara County: 1 in 41 crashes involve a garbage truck (29 since 2015), vs 1.6% across California.
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.
Solvang had 5 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%).
November through March accounts for 37.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in 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
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Solvang happened on US-101 (3); no road leads clearly.
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 Solvang fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Santa Barbara County.
- 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.
- 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 | 3 |
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 |
Solvang at a glance
| Population | 5,988 |
| Land area | 2.4 sq mi |
| Density | 2,469 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 93463) | $118,488 |
| Median home value (ZIP 93463) | $1,124,093 |
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 Solvang
How many truck crashes happen in Solvang?
Since 2015, 1,199 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Barbara County (461 injured, 47 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Solvang?
October has the most truck crashes in Santa Barbara County, 10.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Solvang?
Garbage trucks were involved in 29 reported crashes in Santa Barbara County since 2015 (2.4% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Solvang compared 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 Solvang?
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.