Clayton, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Clayton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Clayton and Union County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Union County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 35 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Union County compares with New Mexico
Union County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Union County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Union County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 76.4 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 68% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 18.2% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 9.1% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 60% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.1% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.4% | 46.8% | 41.9% | 22% below the state |
| After dark | 45.5% | 30.2% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Union County sits below New Mexico on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above New Mexico on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
The headline for Union County: 0 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.0%, vs 0.4% in New Mexico.
Overview
Police reported 35 crashes involving commercial trucks in Union County since 2015: 16 people were injured and 1 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 122 days.
With 8 truck crashes reported in Clayton since 2015, this page uses Union County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
26% of truck crash reports in Union County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 14.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is September at 0.0%.
November through March accounts for 36.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.8% in New Mexico.
By time of day, 6–7 pm stands out with 17.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 18.2% 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 Clayton happened on US-87 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Union County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Clayton fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 18.2% 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Union County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-87 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Union County) |
|---|---|
| Us 64/87 | 5 |
| Raton Hwy | 3 |
| Raton Hwy And Grande Rd | 2 |
| Raton Hwy And Hittson Rd | 2 |
| Us 64/87, Mm 414 | 2 |
| 1St St | 1 |
| Dry Cimarron Hwy | 1 |
| First Street & Main Street | 1 |
Clayton at a glance
| Population | 2,559 |
| Land area | 7.8 sq mi |
| Density | 328 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 88415) | $44,952 |
| Median home value (ZIP 88415) | $142,588 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Union 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 | 5 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 3 | -51% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 3 | +0% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 4 | +35% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 5 a year in the 1990s and 4 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Clayton
How common are truck crashes in Clayton?
Since 2015, 35 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Union County (16 injured, 1 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Clayton?
The worst month is June: 14.3% of truck crashes in Union County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Clayton?
Since 2015, Union County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Clayton compared with New Mexico?
Union County records 76.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 45.6 across New Mexico.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Clayton?
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.