Sunnyvale, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sunnyvale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sunnyvale 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 stands out for higher garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
Santa Clara County at a glance: 0.1% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 0.9% across California.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,945 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Santa Clara County. They injured 1,158 people and killed 97.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
With 164 truck crashes reported in Sunnyvale since 2015, this page uses Santa Clara County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
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.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, 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
Within this area, US-101 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (15). It is followed by I-680 (5), SR-17 (5) and I-280 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 69 crashes, 2.3% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (16%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 9.0, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Sunnyvale fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along US-101; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 26.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than California.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Clara County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 15 |
| I-680 | 5 |
| SR-17 | 5 |
| I-280 | 4 |
| Monterey Rd | 3 |
| SR-84 | 3 |
| Boyce Rd | 2 |
| Camden Ave | 2 |
| Fremont Bl | 2 |
| Black Mountain 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 |
Sunnyvale at a glance
| Population | 156,792 |
| Land area | 22.1 sq mi |
| Density | 7,108 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 94085) | $192,417 |
| Median home value (ZIP 94085) | $1,482,234 |
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 Sunnyvale
How many truck accidents are there in Sunnyvale?
2,945 truck crashes have been reported in Santa Clara County since 2015, with 97 deaths and 1,158 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Sunnyvale?
NHTSA data shows US-101 with 15 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Sunnyvale since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Sunnyvale?
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 Sunnyvale?
Since 2015, Santa Clara County has reported 69 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Sunnyvale compare with California for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Santa Clara County has 13.5 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Sunnyvale?
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.