Freedom, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Freedom: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Freedom 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 sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above California on 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.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Freedom since 2015, this page uses Santa Cruz County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 10.1% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.3% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for 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
SR-1 leads within 10 miles of Freedom with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd (1), CR-SAN Miguel Canyon Rd (1) and CR-SAN Miguel Canyon Road (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
22 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.3% share (California: 1.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (18%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.5, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Freedom fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-1; 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: 28.9% 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
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) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 2 |
| CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd | 1 |
| CR-SAN Miguel Canyon Rd | 1 |
| CR-SAN Miguel Canyon Road | 1 |
| Carlton Rd | 1 |
| Elkhorn Rd | 1 |
| Freedom Blvd | 1 |
| Harkins Slough Rd | 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 |
Freedom at a glance
| Land area | 1.1 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 |
In the 2000s about 41 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 42. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Freedom
How many truck accidents are there in Freedom?
Since 2015, 513 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Cruz County (175 injured, 16 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Freedom?
Since 2015, SR-1 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Freedom: 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Freedom?
September has the most truck crashes in Santa Cruz County, 10.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Freedom?
Since 2015, Santa Cruz County has reported 22 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Freedom compare with California?
The yearly rate is 17.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Santa Cruz County, vs 33.2 for California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Freedom?
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.