Day Valley, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Day Valley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Day 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.
The headline for Santa Cruz County: 1 in 22 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.5%, vs 1.6% in California.
Overview
Santa Cruz County has recorded 513 truck crashes since 2015, with 175 people injured and 16 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 8 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Day Valley since 2015; patterns below come from Santa Cruz County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (10.1% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 39.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (8.4%).
0.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Day Valley since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-E Cliff Dr (1), CR-HICKS Rd (1), CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd (1), Freedom Blvd (1) and Harkins Slough Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
22 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.3% share (California: 1.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in April (18% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 4.5 deaths compared with 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Day Valley fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Santa Cruz County.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Santa Cruz County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.9% of truck crashes here, more than California; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 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-HICKS Rd | 1 |
| CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd | 1 |
| Freedom Blvd | 1 |
| Harkins Slough Rd | 1 |
| River St | 1 |
| SR-1 | 1 |
| SR-129 | 1 |
| SR-152 | 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 |
Day Valley at a glance
| Land area | 18.5 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95003) | $148,412 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95003) | $1,197,432 |
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. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Day Valley
How common are truck crashes in Day Valley?
Since 2015, 513 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Cruz County (175 injured, 16 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Day Valley?
The worst month is September: 10.1% of truck crashes in Santa Cruz County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Day Valley?
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 Day Valley compared with California?
Santa Cruz County records 17.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Day Valley?
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.