Cortez, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cortez: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cortez and Manatee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Manatee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Manatee County compares with Florida
Manatee County against Florida and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Manatee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Manatee County | Florida | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.5 | 37.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.51 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.3% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.1% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.0% | 25.2% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.0% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 22% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 42.1% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.8% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 14% below the state |
Manatee County sits below Florida on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Florida on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Cortez at a glance: US-301 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Cortez: 6 since 2015.
Overview
Manatee County has recorded 1,997 truck crashes since 2015, with 936 people injured and 71 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Cortez had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Manatee County numbers.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.6% of the yearly total, while September has the fewest (7.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.7% of truck crashes, vs 42.1% for Florida.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.1%).
0.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.1% across Florida.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-301 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). It is followed by US-41 (5), 26th St (1) and 34th St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
86 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.3% share (Florida: 3.8%).
Their busiest month is September, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.7, vs 3.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Cortez fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-301, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 29.0% 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
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 Manatee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-301 | 6 |
| US-41 | 5 |
| 26th St | 1 |
| 34th St | 1 |
| 36th Ave E | 1 |
| E 15th St | 1 |
| Lake Bayshore Dr | 1 |
| Old Bradenton Rd | 1 |
| Poincianna Dr | 1 |
| SR-64 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Manatee County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 (Sr-93) | 105 |
| US-301 | 80 |
| State Road 70 | 63 |
| SR-70 | 56 |
| I-75 | 54 |
| SR-64 | 49 |
| I-75 (State Road 93) | 41 |
| I-75 (Sr 93) | 40 |
Cortez at a glance
| Land area | 2.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 34215) | $77,857 |
| Median home value (ZIP 34215) | $738,683 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Manatee 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 | 55 | — | 5.3 |
| 2000s | 74 | +34% | 5.1 |
| 2010s | 120 | +62% | 4.3 |
| 2020s | 182 | +52% | 5.8 |
In the 1990s about 55 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 182. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 5.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cortez
How many truck crashes happen in Cortez?
Since 2015, 1,997 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Manatee County (936 injured, 71 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Cortez?
US-301 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cortez since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cortez?
Truck crashes in Manatee County peak in October, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cortez?
Since 2015, Manatee County has reported 86 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Cortez compared with Florida?
Per 100,000 residents, Manatee County has 37.5 truck crashes a year; Florida has 37.4.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cortez?
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.