Chama, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chama: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chama and Rio Arriba County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Rio Arriba County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 75 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Rio Arriba County compares with New Mexico
Rio Arriba County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rio Arriba County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 15.9 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 65% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 15.7 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 21% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.3% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 9.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.3% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 15.7% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 31% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.0% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.7% | 46.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.7% | 30.2% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Rio Arriba County has lower values than New Mexico for crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above New Mexico on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Rio Arriba County: 1 in 23 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.3%, vs 0.4% in New Mexico.
Overview
Police reported 75 crashes involving commercial trucks in Rio Arriba County since 2015: 33 people were injured and 13 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 57 days in fully reported years.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Chama since 2015; patterns below come from Rio Arriba County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (14.7% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.7% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 12.0% of truck crashes.
14.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 12.1% across New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Chama since 2015 were spread across roads: US-64 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.0% share (New Mexico: 0.4%).
Route planning tips for Chama fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 14.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above New Mexico; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Rio Arriba County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-64 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rio Arriba County) |
|---|---|
| US-550 | 8 |
| US-84 | 5 |
| US-64 | 5 |
| State Road 68 | 2 |
| Bl0Ck Of South Riverside Drive | 1 |
| County Road 56A | 1 |
| County Road 69 | 1 |
| Hwy 84/285 Mm 197 | 1 |
Chama at a glance
| Population | 913 |
| Land area | 2.9 sq mi |
| Density | 317 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 87520) | $38,889 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Rio Arriba 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 | 2 | — | 2.1 |
| 2000s | 5 | +178% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 6 | +20% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 7 | +9% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 7. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chama
How common are truck crashes in Chama?
Rio Arriba County has had 75 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 33 people and killing 13.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Chama?
Truck crashes in Rio Arriba County peak in January, with 14.7% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Chama?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Rio Arriba County since 2015, 4.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Chama compared with New Mexico?
Per 100,000 residents, Rio Arriba County has 15.9 truck crashes a year; New Mexico has 45.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Chama?
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.