ZIP 95073 (Soquel, CA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 95073: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Santa Cruz 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
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Cruz County compares with California
Santa Cruz County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Cruz County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Santa Cruz County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 17.0 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 49% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 78% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.9% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.3% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.1% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 41% below the state |
Santa Cruz County has lower values than California for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above California on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Santa Cruz County: 1 in 22 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.5%, vs 1.6% in California.
Overview
Police reported 513 crashes involving commercial trucks in Santa Cruz County since 2015: 175 people were injured and 16 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (10.1% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 39.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.2% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
SR-1 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 95073 with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by CR-E Cliff Dr (1), CR-HICKS Rd (1) and Encinal St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 22 crashes, 4.3% of the total, against 1.6% across California.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in April (18% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 4.5 deaths compared with 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 95073 fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use SR-1, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 28.9% 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 Cruz County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 2 |
| CR-E Cliff Dr | 1 |
| CR-HICKS Rd | 1 |
| Encinal St | 1 |
| River St | 1 |
| SR-17 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Cruz County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-1 S/B | 8 |
| Sr-1 N/B | 4 |
| Sr-17 S/B | 3 |
| SR-129 | 3 |
| Rt129/1.3M W Old Chittenden Rd | 3 |
| Freedom Blvd | 3 |
| Alba Rd/.13Mi W Of Rt19 | 2 |
| Main St/Green Valley Rd | 2 |
ZIP 95073 at a glance
| Population | 11,639 |
| Density | 196 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $118,169 |
| Median home value | $987,801 |
| Home ownership | 73% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Cruz 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 | — | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 41 | — | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 43 | +4% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 42 | -1% | 1.4 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 41 to 42. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 95073
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 95073?
Santa Cruz County has had 513 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 175 people and killing 16.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 95073?
Since 2015, SR-1 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 95073: 2.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 95073?
September has the most truck crashes in Santa Cruz County, 10.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 95073?
Garbage trucks were involved in 22 reported crashes in Santa Cruz County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 95073 compared with California?
Santa Cruz County records 17.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 95073?
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.