Soquel, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Soquel: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Soquel 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 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 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.
Soquel 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
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.
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 Soquel is SR-1, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: CR-E Cliff Dr (1), Encinal St (1) and River St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 22 crashes, 4.3% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
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 Soquel fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use SR-1, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Santa Cruz County.
- 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
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-E Cliff Dr | 1 |
| Encinal St | 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 |
Soquel at a glance
| Land area | 4.6 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95010) | $105,236 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95010) | $835,660 |
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 Soquel
How many truck crashes happen in Soquel?
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 Soquel?
NHTSA data shows SR-1 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Soquel since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Soquel?
Truck crashes in Santa Cruz County peak in September, with 10.1% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Soquel?
22 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Santa Cruz County since 2015, 4.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Soquel compared with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Santa Cruz County has 17.0 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Soquel?
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.