Pajaro Dunes, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pajaro Dunes: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pajaro Dunes 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. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
Santa Cruz County at a glance: 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.
Pajaro Dunes had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Santa Cruz County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 6.8%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.3% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.2% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Pajaro Dunes is US-101, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-1 (2), CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd (1) and CR-SAN Miguel Canyon Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 22 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Their busiest month is April, with 18% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 4.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Pajaro Dunes fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-101 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- 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
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 3 |
| 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 |
| Monte 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 |
Pajaro Dunes at a glance
| Land area | 2.6 sq mi |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pajaro Dunes
How common are truck crashes in Pajaro Dunes?
Since 2015, 513 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Santa Cruz County (175 injured, 16 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Pajaro Dunes?
US-101 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Pajaro Dunes since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Pajaro Dunes?
The worst month is September: 10.1% of truck crashes in Santa Cruz County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Pajaro Dunes?
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 Pajaro Dunes compared 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 Pajaro Dunes?
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.