Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley and Santa Cruz County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Santa Cruz County numbers.
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.
What stands out in Santa Cruz County: 1 in 22 crashes involve a garbage truck (22 since 2015), vs 1.6% across 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.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley since 2015; patterns below come from Santa Cruz County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 6.8%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.3% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (8.4%).
Road surface: 0.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley happened on CR-E Cliff Dr (1), CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd (1), Carlton Rd (1), Elkhorn Rd (1) and Freedom Blvd (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 22 crashes, 4.3% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (18%).
They recorded 4.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 28.9% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than California.
- 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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-E Cliff Dr | 1 |
| CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd | 1 |
| Carlton Rd | 1 |
| Elkhorn Rd | 1 |
| Freedom Blvd | 1 |
| Harkins Slough Rd | 1 |
| SR-1 | 1 |
| SR-129 | 1 |
| SR-152 | 1 |
| San Juan Rd | 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 |
Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley at a glance
| Land area | 9.3 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95019) | $67,474 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95019) | $738,357 |
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 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 41 to 42. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley
How common are truck crashes in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley?
Santa Cruz County has had 513 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 175 people and killing 16.
When do most truck crashes happen in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley?
The worst month is September: 10.1% of truck crashes in Santa Cruz County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley?
Garbage trucks were involved in 22 reported crashes in Santa Cruz County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Santa Cruz County has 17.0 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley?
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.