Santa Fe, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Santa Fe: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Santa Fe and Santa Fe County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Santa Fe County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 277 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Fe County compares with New Mexico
Santa Fe County against New Mexico and the US, 2016–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Fe County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2016–2025) | Santa Fe County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 16.0 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 65% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.6 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 41% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 29% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 11% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.9% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.4% | 22.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.1% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 22% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 46.8% | 41.9% | 13% below the state |
| After dark | 21.8% | 30.2% | 24.8% | 28% below the state |
Compared with New Mexico, Santa Fe County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher on snow, slush or ice.
Santa Fe at a glance: I-25 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Santa Fe: 4 since 2015.
Overview
Santa Fe County has recorded 277 truck crashes since 2015, with 114 people injured and 14 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 14 days.
Only 97 truck crashes were reported in Santa Fe since 2015; patterns below come from Santa Fe County as a whole.
22% of truck crash reports in Santa Fe County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.8% of the year) and are lowest in May (6.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.9% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.7%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 13.9% of truck crashes, compared with 12.1% in New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
I-25 leads within 10 miles of Santa Fe with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-14 (1), SR-599 (1) and US-84 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.4% share (New Mexico: 0.4%).
Route planning tips for Santa Fe fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-25 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 13.9% of truck crashes here, more than New Mexico; schedule winter checks early.
- 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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2015, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Santa Fe County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 4 |
| SR-14 | 1 |
| SR-599 | 1 |
| US-84 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Fe County) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 34 |
| I-40 | 20 |
| Us 84/285 | 9 |
| US-84 | 6 |
| US-285 | 5 |
| Cerrillos Road | 4 |
| I 25 North Bd Fw | 4 |
| Airport Rd | 3 |
Santa Fe at a glance
| Population | 90,551 |
| Land area | 52.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,734 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Fe 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 | 10 | — | 1.9 |
| 2000s | 10 | -3% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 25 | +146% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 20 | -19% | 2.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 10 a year in the 1990s and 20 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Santa Fe
How common are truck crashes in Santa Fe?
Santa Fe County has had 277 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 114 people and killing 14.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Santa Fe?
NHTSA data shows I-25 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Santa Fe since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Santa Fe?
The worst month is July: 10.8% of truck crashes in Santa Fe County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Santa Fe?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Santa Fe County since 2015, 0.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Santa Fe compare with New Mexico?
Santa Fe County records 16.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 45.6 across New Mexico.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Santa Fe?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2015; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.