Seacliff, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Seacliff: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Seacliff 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. It stands out for 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
Santa Cruz County has recorded 513 truck crashes since 2015, with 175 people injured and 16 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Seacliff since 2015; patterns below come from Santa Cruz County as a whole.
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.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (8.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.2% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
SR-1 leads within 10 miles of Seacliff with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by CR-E Cliff Dr (1), Encinal St (1) and Freedom Blvd (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.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.5, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Seacliff 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
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 |
| Encinal St | 1 |
| Freedom Blvd | 1 |
| Harkins Slough Rd | 1 |
| River St | 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 |
Seacliff at a glance
| Land area | 0.7 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 large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Seacliff
How common are truck crashes in Seacliff?
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 Seacliff?
Since 2015, SR-1 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Seacliff: 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Seacliff?
The worst month is September: 10.1% of truck crashes in Santa Cruz County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Seacliff?
22 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Santa Cruz County since 2015, 4.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Seacliff 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 Seacliff?
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.