Los Altos, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Los Altos: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Los Altos 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. It runs above California on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for 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.
Los Altos had 18 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
August has the most truck crashes, 9.5% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.8%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.1% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Los Altos is US-101, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-84 (2), Black Mountain Rd (1) and Caribbean Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 69 of the truck crashes here, or 2.3%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Their busiest month is April, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 9.0, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Los Altos fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-101, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 26.2% of truck crashes here, more than California; adjust start times where you can.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Clara County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 7 |
| SR-84 | 2 |
| Black Mountain Rd | 1 |
| Caribbean Dr | 1 |
| Central Expy | 1 |
| Grant Rd | 1 |
| I-280 | 1 |
| Lawrence Expy | 1 |
| Los Esteros Rd | 1 |
| Pulgas Av | 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 |
Los Altos at a glance
| Population | 30,864 |
| Land area | 6.5 sq mi |
| Density | 4,719 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 94040) | $187,781 |
| Median home value (ZIP 94040) | $2,000,001 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 1 truck crash a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 226. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 8.0 a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Los Altos
How common are truck crashes in Los Altos?
Since 2015, 2,945 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Clara County (1,158 injured, 97 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Los Altos?
Since 2015, US-101 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Los Altos: 7.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Los Altos?
Truck crashes in Santa Clara County peak in August, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Los Altos?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Santa Clara County since 2015 (2.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Los Altos compared with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Santa Clara County has 13.5 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Los Altos?
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.