Española, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Española: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Española 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 |
Compared with New Mexico, Rio Arriba County is lower on 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.
Rio Arriba County at a glance: 1 in 23 crashes involve a garbage truck (3 since 2015), vs 0.4% across New Mexico.
Overview
Rio Arriba County has recorded 75 truck crashes since 2015, with 33 people injured and 13 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 57 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Española since 2015; patterns below come from Rio Arriba County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 14.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 4.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.7% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 12.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.3% of truck crashes, compared with 12.1% in New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Española happened on US-84 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 4.0%, compared with 0.4% in New Mexico.
Route planning tips for Española 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.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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-84 | 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 |
Española at a glance
| Population | 10,475 |
| Land area | 8.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,274 per sq mi |
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 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 7. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Española
How many truck crashes happen in Española?
Rio Arriba County has had 75 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 33 people and killing 13.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Española?
The worst month is January: 14.7% of truck crashes in Rio Arriba County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Española?
Since 2015, Rio Arriba County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Española compare with New Mexico for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Rio Arriba County has 15.9 truck crashes a year; New Mexico has 45.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Española?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.