Taos, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Taos: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Taos and Taos County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Taos County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 50 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Taos County compares with New Mexico
Taos County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Taos County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Taos County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 12.4 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 73% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 10.6 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 39% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.9% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 14.9% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 35% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.9% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.3% | 46.8% | 41.9% | 18% below the state |
| After dark | 29.8% | 30.2% | 24.8% | same |
Taos County sits below New Mexico on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above New Mexico on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Taos County: October the month with the most truck crashes: 22.0% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 50 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Taos County. They injured 16 people and killed 5.
That averages about one truck crash every 85 days in fully reported years.
Only 13 truck crashes were reported in Taos since 2015; patterns below come from Taos County as a whole.
28% of truck crash reports in Taos County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (22.0% of the year) and are lowest in March (2.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 38.3% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 14.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (New Mexico: 12.1%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Taos happened on US-64 (3); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Taos County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Taos fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 14.9% of truck crashes here, more than New Mexico; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Taos County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-64 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Taos County) |
|---|---|
| US-285 | 9 |
| US-64 | 4 |
| Nm Highway 68 & Nm Highway 570 | 2 |
| Us 285 Mm 265 | 2 |
| E Us Hwy 64, Mp 259 | 1 |
| Este Es Rd & Paseo Del Pueblo Sur | 1 |
| Hondo Seco Road | 1 |
| I-25 | 1 |
Taos at a glance
| Population | 6,453 |
| Land area | 6.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,067 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 87571) | $57,575 |
| Median home value (ZIP 87571) | $433,911 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Taos 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 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 2 | -10% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 4 | +82% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 3 | -17% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 3. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Taos
How common are truck crashes in Taos?
50 truck crashes have been reported in Taos County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 16 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Taos?
Truck crashes in Taos County peak in October, with 22.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Taos?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Taos County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How does Taos compare with New Mexico for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Taos County has 12.4 truck crashes a year; New Mexico has 45.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Taos?
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.