Carlsbad, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carlsbad: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carlsbad and Eddy County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Eddy County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 1,002 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Eddy County compares with New Mexico
Eddy County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Eddy County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Eddy County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 139.8 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 3.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.7 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 29% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.3% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 29% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 94% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.3% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 55% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.9% | 46.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.5% | 30.2% | 24.8% | same |
Eddy County has lower values than New Mexico for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Eddy County: 0.7% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 12.1% across New Mexico.
Overview
Police reported 1,002 crashes involving commercial trucks in Eddy County since 2015: 444 people were injured and 65 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Carlsbad had 150 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Eddy County numbers.
36% of truck crash reports in Eddy County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 10.3% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 43.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.8% in New Mexico.
More truck crashes happen at 6–7 am than at any other hour (7.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.7% of truck crashes, compared with 12.1% in New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
US-62 leads within 10 miles of Carlsbad with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-285 (2), CR-707 E Derrick Rd (1) and CR-748 Old Cavern Hwy (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 0.3%, compared with 0.4% in New Mexico.
Route planning tips for Carlsbad fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Eddy County.
- Check whether your routes use US-62, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Morning starts matter: 25.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than New Mexico.
- 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 Eddy County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-62 | 3 |
| US-285 | 2 |
| CR-707 E Derrick Rd | 1 |
| CR-748 Old Cavern Hwy | 1 |
| SR-200 | 1 |
| SR-31 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Eddy County) |
|---|---|
| US-285 | 58 |
| US-82 | 20 |
| Us 62/180 | 16 |
| Jal Hwy | 14 |
| Pecos Hwy | 11 |
| US-62 | 11 |
| Us 285 South | 11 |
| State Road 31 | 8 |
Carlsbad at a glance
| Population | 31,999 |
| Land area | 31.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,011 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Eddy 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 | 5 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 16 | +235% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 66 | +309% | 4.9 |
| 2020s | 85 | +28% | 4.8 |
In the 1990s about 5 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 85. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 4.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carlsbad
How many truck accidents are there in Carlsbad?
Eddy County has had 1,002 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 444 people and killing 65.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Carlsbad?
US-62 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Carlsbad since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Carlsbad?
The worst month is July: 10.3% of truck crashes in Eddy County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Carlsbad?
Since 2015, Eddy County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Carlsbad compare with New Mexico?
Per 100,000 residents, Eddy County has 139.8 truck crashes a year; New Mexico has 45.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Carlsbad?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.