Sonoma, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sonoma: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sonoma 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 |
Compared with California, Sonoma County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above California on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Sonoma County: 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.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
Sonoma had 14 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sonoma County numbers.
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.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.8%).
0.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
SR-116 leads within 10 miles of Sonoma with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-121 (2), Buhman Ave (1) and CR-ADOBE Road (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 50 of the truck crashes here, or 3.3%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (18% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 6.2 deaths compared with 3.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Sonoma fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sonoma County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-116 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Sonoma County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-116 | 5 |
| SR-121 | 2 |
| Buhman Ave | 1 |
| CR-ADOBE Road | 1 |
| CR-LAKEVILLE Road | 1 |
| CR-OLD Adobe Rd | 1 |
| Lakeville Road | 1 |
| Napa Rd | 1 |
| Oakville Grade Rd | 1 |
| SR-12 | 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 |
Sonoma at a glance
| Population | 10,606 |
| Land area | 2.7 sq mi |
| Density | 3,865 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 |
In the 1990s about 1 truck crash a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 119. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 4.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sonoma
How common are truck crashes in Sonoma?
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 Sonoma?
SR-116 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Sonoma since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Sonoma?
The worst month is October: 10.5% of truck crashes in Sonoma County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Sonoma?
50 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Sonoma County since 2015, 3.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Sonoma compare with California?
Per 100,000 residents, Sonoma County has 27.0 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Sonoma?
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.