Santa Clara, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Santa Clara: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Santa Clara 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.
Santa Clara County at a glance: 0.1% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 0.9% in California.
Overview
Santa Clara County has recorded 2,945 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,158 people injured and 97 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Only 119 truck crashes were reported in Santa Clara since 2015; patterns below come from Santa Clara County as a whole.
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.
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 15 miles of Santa Clara with 17 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-680 (5), SR-17 (5) and I-280 (3).
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 Santa Clara 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.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 26.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 17 |
| I-680 | 5 |
| SR-17 | 5 |
| I-280 | 3 |
| Monterey Rd | 3 |
| Boyce Rd | 2 |
| Camden Ave | 2 |
| Black Mountain Rd | 1 |
| CR-HICKS Rd | 1 |
| CR-QUIMBY Road | 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 |
Santa Clara at a glance
| Population | 133,132 |
| Land area | 18.3 sq mi |
| Density | 7,284 per sq mi |
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. 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 Santa Clara
How many truck crashes happen in Santa Clara?
2,945 truck crashes have been reported in Santa Clara County since 2015, with 97 deaths and 1,158 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Santa Clara?
Since 2015, US-101 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Santa Clara: 17.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Santa Clara?
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 Santa Clara?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Santa Clara County since 2015 (2.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Santa Clara compare with California?
Santa Clara County records 13.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Santa Clara?
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.