Santa Cruz County, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Santa Cruz County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Cruz County compares with California
Santa Cruz County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Cruz County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Santa Cruz County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 17.0 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 49% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 78% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.9% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.3% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.1% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 41% below the state |
Santa Cruz County has lower values than California for 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.
The headline for Santa Cruz County: 1 in 22 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.5%, against 1.6% for California.
Overview
Police reported 513 crashes involving commercial trucks in Santa Cruz County since 2015: 175 people were injured and 16 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 8 days.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 10.1% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 39.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 8.4% of truck crashes.
0.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Santa Cruz County is SR-1, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-129 (2), CR-E Cliff Dr (1) and CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 22 crashes, 4.3% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Their busiest month is April, with 18% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.5, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Santa Cruz County fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use SR-1, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Santa Cruz County.
- 28.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Cruz County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Santa Cruz County) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 3 |
| SR-129 | 2 |
| CR-E Cliff Dr | 1 |
| CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd | 1 |
| Carlton Rd | 1 |
| Encinal St | 1 |
| Freedom Blvd | 1 |
| Harkins Slough Rd | 1 |
| Larkspur St | 1 |
| River St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Cruz County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-1 S/B | 8 |
| Sr-1 N/B | 4 |
| Sr-17 S/B | 3 |
| SR-129 | 3 |
| Rt129/1.3M W Old Chittenden Rd | 3 |
| Freedom Blvd | 3 |
| Alba Rd/.13Mi W Of Rt19 | 2 |
| Main St/Green Valley Rd | 2 |
Santa Cruz County at a glance
| Population | 262,406 |
| Land area | 445.1 sq mi |
| Density | 590 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $113,740 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Cruz 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 | — | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 41 | — | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 43 | +4% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 42 | -1% | 1.4 |
In the 2000s about 41 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 42. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Santa Cruz County
ZIP codes in Santa Cruz County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Santa Cruz County
How common are truck crashes in Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County has had 513 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 175 people and killing 16.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Santa Cruz County?
SR-1 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Santa Cruz County since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Santa Cruz County?
September has the most truck crashes in Santa Cruz County, 10.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Santa Cruz County?
Since 2015, Santa Cruz County has reported 22 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Santa Cruz County compared with California?
Santa Cruz County records 17.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Santa Cruz County?
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.