ZIP 93454 (Santa Maria, CA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 93454: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Santa Barbara County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Barbara County compares with California
Santa Barbara County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Barbara County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Santa Barbara County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 23.6 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 29% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.5% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 44% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.5% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.5% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.4% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 7% below the state |
| After dark | 23.8% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Santa Barbara County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above California on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Santa Barbara County at a glance: 1 in 41 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.4%, against 1.6% for California.
Overview
Police reported 1,199 crashes involving commercial trucks in Santa Barbara County since 2015: 461 people were injured and 47 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 10.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 37.4% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 93454 since 2015: Alvin Ave (1), Betteravia Rd (1), E Clark Ave (1) and SR-166 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 29 crashes, 2.4% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Their busiest month is January, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 4.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 93454 fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Santa Barbara County.
- Morning starts matter: 27.5% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than California.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Santa Barbara County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Alvin Ave | 1 |
| Betteravia Rd | 1 |
| E Clark Ave | 1 |
| SR-166 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Barbara County) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 18 |
| Us-101 N/B | 8 |
| Rt166/.37M E Alisos Canyon Rd | 5 |
| Sr1/.2M S California Bl | 3 |
| Rt154/Rt246 | 3 |
| Rt101/.2M N El Capitan State Beach Rd | 3 |
| Rt101 Nb O/R/70Ft S Nicholson Av | 3 |
| Rt1/2865Ft S Rt246 | 3 |
ZIP 93454 at a glance
| Population | 41,896 |
| Density | 39 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $81,522 |
| Median home value | $523,761 |
| Home ownership | 52% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Barbara 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 | — | — | 1.8 |
| 2000s | 70 | — | 3.7 |
| 2010s | 95 | +36% | 3.3 |
| 2020s | 106 | +12% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 70 a year in the 2000s and 106 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 3.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 93454
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 93454?
1,199 truck crashes have been reported in Santa Barbara County since 2015, with 47 deaths and 461 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 93454?
Truck crashes in Santa Barbara County peak in October, with 10.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 93454?
Since 2015, Santa Barbara County has reported 29 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.4% of its truck crashes.
How does ZIP 93454 compare with California for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 23.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Santa Barbara County, vs 33.2 for California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 93454?
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.