ZIP 93555 (Ridgecrest, CA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 93555: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Kern 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
9.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Kern County compares with California
Kern County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kern County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kern County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 68.6 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 2.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 41% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.9% | 0.9% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.6% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.1% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 21% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 34.6% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Kern County sits below California on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
What stands out in Kern County: December more garbage-truck crashes happen in December than in any other month (17%).
Overview
Kern County has recorded 7,248 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,414 people injured and 403 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 2 truck crashes every day.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (7.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.3% of truck crashes, against 40.2% across California.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 6.5% of truck crashes.
0.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of ZIP 93555 is US-395, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-178 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 69 crashes, 1.0% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (17% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 9.0, vs 5.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 93555 fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use US-395, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at December schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Kern County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-395 | 4 |
| SR-178 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kern County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-99 N/B | 31 |
| Sr-58 W/B | 23 |
| I-5 | 22 |
| Sr-58 E/B | 21 |
| SR-58 | 20 |
| Sr-99 S/B | 17 |
| SR-99 | 17 |
| SR-223 | 11 |
ZIP 93555 at a glance
| Population | 33,845 |
| Density | 167 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $86,700 |
| Median home value | $248,160 |
| Home ownership | 62% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kern 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 | — | 23.6 |
| 2000s | 398 | +7854% | 20.5 |
| 2010s | 543 | +37% | 21.7 |
| 2020s | 659 | +21% | 28.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 659. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 25.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 28.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 93555
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 93555?
7,248 truck crashes have been reported in Kern County since 2015, with 403 deaths and 3,414 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 93555?
US-395 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 93555 since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 93555?
The worst month is August: 9.4% of truck crashes in Kern County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 93555?
Garbage trucks were involved in 69 reported crashes in Kern County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 93555 compared with California?
Kern County records 68.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 93555?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.