La Bajada, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in La Bajada: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in La Bajada and Sandoval County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sandoval County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 242 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Sandoval County compares with New Mexico
Sandoval County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sandoval County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sandoval County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 12.9 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 72% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.2 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.7% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 6.0× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.4% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 22% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.1% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.0% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.0% | 46.8% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 32.3% | 30.2% | 24.8% | same |
Sandoval County sits below New Mexico on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Sandoval County: 1 in 37 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.7%, against 0.4% for New Mexico.
Overview
Since 2015, 242 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sandoval County. They injured 126 people and killed 17.
That averages about one truck crash every 18 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in La Bajada since 2015; patterns below come from Sandoval County as a whole.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 13.2% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (4.5%).
November through March accounts for 43.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.8% in New Mexico.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 7.4% of truck crashes.
9.4% 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 La Bajada since 2015 were spread across roads: I-25 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 6 crashes, 2.5% of the total, against 0.4% across New Mexico.
Route planning tips for La Bajada fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sandoval County.
- 25.1% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above New Mexico; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Sandoval County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sandoval County) |
|---|---|
| US-550 | 57 |
| I-25 | 15 |
| SR-550 | 5 |
| Nm 528 | 4 |
| State Road 528 | 3 |
| Us Highway 550 & Ts Jicarilla Rd | 3 |
| W Us 550 | 3 |
| Abrazo Rd | 2 |
La Bajada at a glance
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 87041) | $80,662 |
| Median home value (ZIP 87041) | $219,661 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sandoval 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 | — | 1.8 |
| 2000s | 10 | +163% | 1.8 |
| 2010s | 18 | +79% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 19 | +5% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 19. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about La Bajada
How common are truck crashes in La Bajada?
Sandoval County has had 242 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 126 people and killing 17.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in La Bajada?
The worst month is September: 13.2% of truck crashes in Sandoval County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in La Bajada?
6 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Sandoval County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in La Bajada compared with New Mexico?
The yearly rate is 12.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Sandoval County, vs 45.6 for New Mexico.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in La Bajada?
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.