Matlacha, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Matlacha: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Matlacha and Lee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lee County compares with Florida
Lee County against Florida and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lee County | Florida | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.0 | 37.4 | 49.7 | 9% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 7% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.51 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.8% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.1% | 6.2% | 62% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.8% | 25.2% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.5% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 27% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 42.1% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.7% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 35% below the state |
Lee County has lower values than Florida for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Lee County: 1 in 17 garbage-truck share of crashes is 5.8%, against 3.8% for Florida.
Overview
Police reported 3,377 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lee County since 2015: 1,498 people were injured and 124 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Matlacha since 2015; patterns below come from Lee County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 10.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 6.7%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.4% of truck crashes, against 42.1% across Florida.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (9.1%).
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.1% across Florida.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-78 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (2). It is followed by CR-765 (1), CR-78 (1) and CR-867A (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
188 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.6% share (Florida: 3.8%).
Their busiest month is March, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.8, vs 3.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Matlacha fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-78, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 30.8% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Florida.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Lee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-78 | 2 |
| CR-765 | 1 |
| CR-78 | 1 |
| CR-867A | 1 |
| CR-867A Del Prado Blvd | 1 |
| Cape Coral Pkwy W | 1 |
| Mid Cape Terr | 1 |
| Mu-Country Club Blvd | 1 |
| Santa Barbara Blvd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lee County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 (Sr-93) | 158 |
| SR-82 | 120 |
| I-75 (Sr 93) | 117 |
| Interstate 75 (State Road 93) | 104 |
| Colonial Blvd | 100 |
| Palm Beach Blvd | 96 |
| Alico Rd | 87 |
| Daniels Pkwy | 73 |
Matlacha at a glance
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 33993) | $90,577 |
| Median home value (ZIP 33993) | $366,775 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lee 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 | 69 | — | 6.3 |
| 2000s | 136 | +97% | 8.3 |
| 2010s | 177 | +30% | 7.5 |
| 2020s | 326 | +84% | 11.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 69 a year in the 1990s and 326 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 10.8 a year in 2016–19, 11.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Matlacha
How many truck accidents are there in Matlacha?
Lee County has had 3,377 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,498 people and killing 124.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Matlacha?
NHTSA data shows SR-78 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Matlacha since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Matlacha?
The worst month is March: 10.3% of truck crashes in Lee County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Matlacha?
188 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lee County since 2015, 5.6% of all truck crashes.
How does Matlacha compare with Florida for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 34.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lee County, vs 37.4 for Florida.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Matlacha?
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.