California, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in California: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in California and Starke County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Starke County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 224 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Starke County compares with Indiana
Starke County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Starke County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Starke County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 80.2 | 80.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.4% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.4% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.0% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.5% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 11% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 34.3% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Starke County has lower values than Indiana for deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Indiana on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Starke County: 17.4% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 10.6% in Indiana.
Overview
Starke County has recorded 224 truck crashes since 2015, with 95 people injured and 6 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 19 days.
California had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Starke County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 13.8% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (5.4%).
November through March accounts for 44.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (9.8%).
17.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of California since 2015: CR-700 (1) and SR-8 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
8 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.6% share (Indiana: 2.4%).
Route planning tips for California fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Starke County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.0% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; adjust start times where you can.
- 17.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Indiana; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Starke County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-700 | 1 |
| SR-8 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Starke County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 79 |
| US-30E | 27 |
| US-30W | 18 |
| US-35N | 10 |
| US-35S | 7 |
| US-35 | 6 |
| SR-8W | 3 |
| SR-8E | 3 |
California at a glance
| Population | 2,169 |
| Land area | 34.7 sq mi |
| Density | 63 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46534) | $63,138 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46534) | $168,803 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Starke 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 | 11 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 14 | +19% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 16 | +18% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 20 | +28% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 11 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 20. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about California
How common are truck crashes in California?
Starke County has had 224 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 95 people and killing 6.
Which month has the most truck crashes in California?
January has the most truck crashes in Starke County, 13.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in California?
Since 2015, Starke County has reported 8 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.6% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in California compare with Indiana?
Starke County records 80.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in California?
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.