Petaluma, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Petaluma: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Petaluma and Sonoma County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sonoma County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Sonoma County compares with California
Sonoma County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sonoma County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sonoma County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 27.0 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 19% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.3% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.0× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 62% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.5% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.7% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.1% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.6% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 40% below the state |
Sonoma County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Sonoma County at a glance: 1 in 30 crashes involve a garbage truck (50 since 2015), vs 1.6% across California.
Overview
Police reported 1,502 crashes involving commercial trucks in Sonoma County since 2015: 778 people were injured and 43 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
Only 149 truck crashes were reported in Petaluma since 2015; patterns below come from Sonoma County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 10.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.4%.
November through March accounts for 38.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.4% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
SR-116 leads within 10 miles of Petaluma with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-101 (2), CR-ADOBE Road (1) and CR-LAKEVILLE Road (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 50 of the truck crashes here, or 3.3%, compared with 1.6% in California.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (18%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 6.2, vs 3.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Petaluma fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use SR-116, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Sonoma County.
- Morning starts matter: 28.5% 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 Sonoma County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-116 | 5 |
| US-101 | 2 |
| CR-ADOBE Road | 1 |
| CR-LAKEVILLE Road | 1 |
| CR-OLD Adobe Rd | 1 |
| CR-PEPPER Rd | 1 |
| Lakeville Road | 1 |
| Point Reyes Petaluma Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sonoma County) |
|---|---|
| Us-101 S/B | 10 |
| US-101 | 8 |
| Lakeville Road | 5 |
| Us-101 N/B | 4 |
| SR-37 | 3 |
| SR-116 | 3 |
| Rt116/Green Valley Rd | 3 |
| Rt101/300Ft N Steele Ln | 3 |
Petaluma at a glance
| Population | 59,393 |
| Land area | 14.4 sq mi |
| Density | 4,120 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sonoma 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 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 72 | +7070% | 3.0 |
| 2010s | 122 | +69% | 3.1 |
| 2020s | 119 | -2% | 2.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 1 to 119. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.5 a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Petaluma
How many truck crashes happen in Petaluma?
Sonoma County has had 1,502 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 778 people and killing 43.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Petaluma?
SR-116 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Petaluma since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Petaluma?
The worst month is October: 10.5% of truck crashes in Sonoma County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Petaluma?
Garbage trucks were involved in 50 reported crashes in Sonoma County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Petaluma compared with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Sonoma County has 27.0 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Petaluma?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.