Rio del Mar, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rio del Mar: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rio del Mar 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 |
Compared with California, Santa Cruz County is lower 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
Since 2015, 513 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Santa Cruz County. They injured 175 people and killed 16.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Rio del Mar since 2015, this page uses Santa Cruz County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (10.1% of the year) and are lowest in November (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%).
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 within 10 miles of Rio del Mar is SR-1, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: CR-E Cliff Dr (1), CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd (1) and Carlton 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).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.5, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Rio del Mar fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-1 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
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) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 2 |
| CR-E Cliff Dr | 1 |
| CR-MOUNT Madonna Rd | 1 |
| Carlton Rd | 1 |
| Elkhorn Rd | 1 |
| Encinal St | 1 |
| Freedom Blvd | 1 |
| Harkins Slough Rd | 1 |
| River St | 1 |
| SR-129 | 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 |
Rio del Mar at a glance
| Land area | 3.0 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 |
In the 2000s about 41 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 42. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Rio del Mar
How common are truck crashes in Rio del Mar?
513 truck crashes have been reported in Santa Cruz County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 175 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Rio del Mar?
Since 2015, SR-1 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Rio del Mar: 2.
When do most truck crashes happen in Rio del Mar?
The worst month is September: 10.1% of truck crashes in Santa Cruz County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Rio del Mar?
Garbage trucks were involved in 22 reported crashes in Santa Cruz County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Rio del Mar 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 Rio del Mar?
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.