Milpitas, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Milpitas: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Milpitas 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 |
Compared with California, Santa Clara County is lower 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.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Milpitas had 160 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
Truck crashes peak in August (9.5% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 7.8% of truck crashes.
0.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
US-101 leads within 10 miles of Milpitas with 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-680 (5), Boyce Rd (2) and I-280 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
69 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.3% share (California: 1.6%).
Their busiest month is April, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 9.0 deaths compared with 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Milpitas fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-101; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Santa Clara County.
- 26.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 | 9 |
| I-680 | 5 |
| Boyce Rd | 2 |
| I-280 | 2 |
| Caribbean Dr | 1 |
| Central Expy | 1 |
| Cherry St | 1 |
| Fremont Bl | 1 |
| I-880 | 1 |
| Lawrence Expy | 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 |
Milpitas at a glance
| Population | 79,746 |
| Land area | 13.5 sq mi |
| Density | 5,915 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95035) | $178,654 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95035) | $1,258,297 |
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. 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 Milpitas
How common are truck crashes in Milpitas?
2,945 truck crashes have been reported in Santa Clara County since 2015, with 97 deaths and 1,158 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Milpitas?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Milpitas since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Milpitas?
Truck crashes in Santa Clara County peak in August, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Milpitas?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Santa Clara County since 2015 (2.3% of truck crashes).
How does Milpitas compare with California for truck crashes?
Santa Clara County records 13.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Milpitas?
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.