South Padre Island, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in South Padre Island: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in South Padre Island 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 |
Compared with Texas, Cameron County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow.
Cameron County at a glance: 0.6% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Texas: 1.7%).
Overview
Police reported 1,016 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cameron County since 2015: 786 people were injured and 45 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 4 truck crashes were reported in South Padre Island since 2015; patterns below come from Cameron County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 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%).
0.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across Texas.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of South Padre Island happened on Pr 100/Queen Isabella Cswy (1) and SR-4 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 9 crashes, 0.9% of the total, against 1.1% across Texas.
Route planning tips for South Padre Island fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cameron County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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) |
|---|---|
| Pr 100/Queen Isabella Cswy | 1 |
| SR-4 | 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 |
South Padre Island at a glance
| Population | 2,076 |
| Land area | 2.7 sq mi |
| Density | 772 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 78597) | $68,421 |
| Median home value (ZIP 78597) | $527,470 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 110 a year in the 1990s and 92 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 South Padre Island
How common are truck crashes in South Padre Island?
Cameron County has had 1,016 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 786 people and killing 45.
When do most truck crashes happen in South Padre Island?
July has the most truck crashes in Cameron County, 10.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in South Padre Island?
Since 2015, Cameron County has reported 9 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in South Padre Island compared with Texas?
The yearly rate is 20.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cameron County, vs 62.9 for Texas.
How can I plan a safer truck route in South Padre Island?
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.