Desoto Lakes, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Desoto Lakes: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Desoto Lakes and Sarasota County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sarasota County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Sarasota County compares with Florida
Sarasota County against Florida and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sarasota County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sarasota County | Florida | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.7 | 37.4 | 49.7 | 13% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.51 | 0.49 | 20% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.3% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.1% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.2% | 25.2% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.0% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 33% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.4% | 42.1% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.0% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Sarasota County has lower values than Florida for crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Sarasota County: November is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 20% of them.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,796 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sarasota County. They injured 761 people and killed 78.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Desoto Lakes had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sarasota County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is November with 10.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 6.8%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.4% of truck crashes, vs 42.1% for Florida.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 8.3% of truck crashes.
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.1% across Florida.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-75 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (11). It is followed by SR-70 (6), US-301 (6) and CR-780 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
112 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 6.2% share (Florida: 3.8%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in November (20%).
They recorded 0.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 4.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Desoto Lakes fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-75, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 29.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Florida.
- 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 Sarasota County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 11 |
| SR-70 | 6 |
| US-301 | 6 |
| CR-780 | 4 |
| CR-610 | 3 |
| SR-780 | 3 |
| US-41 | 3 |
| SR-72 | 2 |
| 26th St | 1 |
| 34th St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sarasota County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 217 |
| I-75 (Sr-93) | 144 |
| I-75 (Sr 93) | 83 |
| Fruitville Rd | 41 |
| Clark Rd | 40 |
| Tamiami Trl | 34 |
| Interstate 75 (State Road 93) | 22 |
| I-95 | 20 |
Desoto Lakes at a glance
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 34235) | $78,958 |
| Median home value (ZIP 34235) | $370,405 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sarasota 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 | 32 | — | 3.7 |
| 2000s | 72 | +130% | 4.8 |
| 2010s | 102 | +41% | 3.8 |
| 2020s | 170 | +66% | 4.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 32 to 170. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 5.8 a year in 2016–19, 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Desoto Lakes
How many truck accidents are there in Desoto Lakes?
Since 2015, 1,796 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sarasota County (761 injured, 78 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Desoto Lakes?
NHTSA data shows I-75 with 11 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Desoto Lakes since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Desoto Lakes?
Truck crashes in Sarasota County peak in November, with 10.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Desoto Lakes?
Since 2015, Sarasota County has reported 112 garbage-truck crashes, or 6.2% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Desoto Lakes compare with Florida?
Per 100,000 residents, Sarasota County has 32.7 truck crashes a year; Florida has 37.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Desoto Lakes?
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.