Santa Maria, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Santa Maria: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Santa Maria and Cameron County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cameron County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 1,016 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cameron County compares with Texas
Cameron County against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cameron County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cameron County | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 20.1 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 68% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.79 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 24% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 62% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.5% | 22.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.1% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.3% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.4% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 13% below the state |
Cameron County has lower values than Texas for crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Texas on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Santa Maria: US-281 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Santa Maria since 2015.
Overview
Cameron County has recorded 1,016 truck crashes since 2015, with 786 people injured and 45 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Santa Maria had 2 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cameron County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.1% of the year) and are lowest in May (7.1%).
November through March accounts for 42.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Texas.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (7.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.6% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in Texas.
Where crashes happen
US-281 leads within 10 miles of Santa Maria with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: Fm 491 (2), CR-ED Carey Dr (1) and Fm 1425 Mile 2 Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 9 of the truck crashes here, or 0.9%, compared with 1.1% in Texas.
Route planning tips for Santa Maria fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-281; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cameron County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-281 | 4 |
| Fm 491 | 2 |
| CR-ED Carey Dr | 1 |
| Fm 1425 Mile 2 Rd | 1 |
| Fm 509 | 1 |
| I-2 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cameron County) |
|---|---|
| Padre Island Hwy | 43 |
| Boca Chica Blvd | 28 |
| Fm 511 | 19 |
| International Blvd | 18 |
| Ruben M Torres Blvd | 15 |
| Paredes Line Rd | 14 |
| Military Hwy | 14 |
| Senator Eddie Lucio Jr Hwy | 13 |
Santa Maria at a glance
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cameron 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 | 110 | — | 2.8 |
| 2000s | 90 | -18% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 71 | -22% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 92 | +29% | 3.4 |
In the 1990s about 110 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 92. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Santa Maria
How common are truck crashes in Santa Maria?
1,016 truck crashes have been reported in Cameron County since 2015, with 45 deaths and 786 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Santa Maria?
Since 2015, US-281 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Santa Maria: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Santa Maria?
July has the most truck crashes in Cameron County, 10.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Santa Maria?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Cameron County since 2015 (0.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Santa Maria compared with Texas?
Per 100,000 residents, Cameron County has 20.1 truck crashes a year; Texas has 62.9.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Santa Maria?
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.