Gilroy, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Gilroy: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Gilroy and Santa Clara County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Santa Clara County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Clara County compares with California
Santa Clara County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Clara County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Santa Clara County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 13.5 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 59% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 85% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.2% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.5% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.2% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Santa Clara County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Santa Clara County: 0.1% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 0.9% across California.
Overview
Police reported 2,945 crashes involving commercial trucks in Santa Clara County since 2015: 1,158 people were injured and 97 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Gilroy had 96 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Santa Clara County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.0%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.3% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.1% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
SR-152 leads within 10 miles of Gilroy with 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-101 (6), SR-25 (5) and SR-129 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
69 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.3% share (California: 1.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (16%).
They recorded 9.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Gilroy fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Santa Clara County.
- Check whether your routes use SR-152, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Santa Clara County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 26.2% 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
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 Clara County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-152 | 9 |
| US-101 | 6 |
| SR-25 | 5 |
| SR-129 | 2 |
| CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd | 1 |
| CR-TATUM Avenue | 1 |
| Carlton Rd | 1 |
| Frazer Lake Rd | 1 |
| Monterey Rd | 1 |
| San Juan Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Clara County) |
|---|---|
| Us-101 N/B | 22 |
| Us-101 S/B | 16 |
| SR-152 | 11 |
| US-101 | 6 |
| Sr-237 W/B | 5 |
| Rt101/Rt25 | 4 |
| Rt152/.6M E El Toro | 4 |
| Sr152 Eb/2M W Dinosaur Point Rd | 3 |
Gilroy at a glance
| Population | 60,390 |
| Land area | 16.5 sq mi |
| Density | 3,652 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95020) | $137,117 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95020) | $1,049,258 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Clara 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 | — | 8.5 |
| 2000s | 165 | +16400% | 4.4 |
| 2010s | 254 | +54% | 6.6 |
| 2020s | 226 | -11% | 8.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 1 to 226. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 8.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Gilroy
How many truck accidents are there in Gilroy?
Since 2015, 2,945 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Clara County (1,158 injured, 97 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Gilroy?
NHTSA data shows SR-152 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Gilroy since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Gilroy?
Truck crashes in Santa Clara County peak in August, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Gilroy?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Santa Clara County since 2015 (2.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Gilroy compare with California?
The yearly rate is 13.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Santa Clara County, vs 33.2 for California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Gilroy?
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.