Ruidoso Downs, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ruidoso Downs: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ruidoso Downs and Lincoln County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lincoln County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 123 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lincoln County compares with New Mexico
Lincoln County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lincoln County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lincoln County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 54.9 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.4 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 22% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 25% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.3% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 73% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.5% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.1% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 65% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.8% | 46.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.4% | 30.2% | 24.8% | same |
Lincoln County sits below New Mexico on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above New Mexico on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Lincoln County: 1 in 120 crashes involve a garbage truck (1 since 2015), vs 0.4% across New Mexico.
Overview
Police reported 123 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lincoln County since 2015: 53 people were injured and 9 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 33 days in fully reported years.
With 9 truck crashes reported in Ruidoso Downs since 2015, this page uses Lincoln County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
26% of truck crash reports in Lincoln County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 13.0% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (4.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.8% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 3.3% of truck crashes, compared with 12.1% in New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ruidoso Downs since 2015 were spread across roads: US-70 (2) and SR-48 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.8%, compared with 0.4% in New Mexico.
Route planning tips for Ruidoso Downs fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 26.5% of truck crashes here, more than New Mexico; adjust start times where you can.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Lincoln County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-70 | 2 |
| SR-48 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lincoln County) |
|---|---|
| US-54 | 19 |
| US-70 | 10 |
| SR-54 | 3 |
| US-380 | 3 |
| SR-70 | 2 |
| Sudderth Dr | 2 |
| Sudderth Drive & Weldon Ave | 2 |
| Us 54 Mm 133 | 2 |
Ruidoso Downs at a glance
| Population | 2,627 |
| Land area | 3.8 sq mi |
| Density | 693 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 88346) | $33,594 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lincoln 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 | 4 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 8 | +75% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 10 | +25% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 10 | +9% | 1.4 |
In the 1990s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 10. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ruidoso Downs
How many truck accidents are there in Ruidoso Downs?
Since 2015, 123 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lincoln County (53 injured, 9 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Ruidoso Downs?
The worst month is May: 13.0% of truck crashes in Lincoln County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ruidoso Downs?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lincoln County since 2015, 0.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Ruidoso Downs compared with New Mexico?
Lincoln County records 54.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 45.6 across New Mexico.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Ruidoso Downs?
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.