Scotts Valley, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Scotts Valley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Scotts 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 |
Compared with California, Santa Cruz County is lower 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.
What stands out in Santa Cruz County: 1 in 22 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.5%, vs 1.6% in California.
Overview
Since 2015, 513 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Santa Cruz County. They injured 175 people and killed 16.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 8 days.
Only 9 truck crashes were reported in Scotts Valley since 2015; patterns below come from Santa Cruz County as a whole.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 10.1% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (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%).
0.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
SR-1 leads within 10 miles of Scotts Valley with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by CR-E Cliff Dr (1), Encinal St (1) and Larkspur St (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).
They recorded 4.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Scotts Valley 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.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- 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
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) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 2 |
| CR-E Cliff Dr | 1 |
| Encinal St | 1 |
| Larkspur St | 1 |
| Montevina Rd | 1 |
| River St | 1 |
| SR-17 | 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 |
Scotts Valley at a glance
| Population | 11,828 |
| Land area | 4.6 sq mi |
| Density | 2,561 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95066) | $151,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95066) | $1,085,788 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 41 a year in the 2000s and 42 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Scotts Valley
How common are truck crashes in Scotts Valley?
Santa Cruz County has had 513 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 175 people and killing 16.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Scotts Valley?
NHTSA data shows SR-1 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Scotts Valley since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Scotts Valley?
September has the most truck crashes in Santa Cruz County, 10.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Scotts Valley?
Garbage trucks were involved in 22 reported crashes in Santa Cruz County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
How does Scotts Valley compare with California for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 17.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Santa Cruz County, vs 33.2 for California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Scotts 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.