Detroit Lakes, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Detroit Lakes: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Detroit Lakes and Becker County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Becker County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 146 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Becker County compares with Minnesota
Becker County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Becker County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Becker County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.1 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 13% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.37 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 20% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 33.8% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.6% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.1% | 19.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.6% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 18.1% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 11% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Becker County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar).
The headline for Becker County: 33.8% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 146 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Becker County. They injured 56 people and killed 6.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 30 days.
With 46 truck crashes reported in Detroit Lakes since 2015, this page uses Becker County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 11.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is August at 5.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.6% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 10.3% of truck crashes.
33.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Detroit Lakes happened on US-59 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
4 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.7% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Detroit Lakes fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Becker County.
- With 33.8% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Minnesota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Becker County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Becker County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 10 | 52 |
| Usth 59 | 16 |
| Mnth 34 | 15 |
| Csah 37 | 4 |
| Mnth 87 | 3 |
| Csah 21 | 3 |
| Csah 15 | 2 |
| Csah 40 | 2 |
Detroit Lakes at a glance
| Population | 10,033 |
| Land area | 11.8 sq mi |
| Density | 847 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Becker 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 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 12 | +157% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 12 | +0% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 11 | -12% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 5 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 11. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Detroit Lakes
How common are truck crashes in Detroit Lakes?
Since 2015, 146 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Becker County (56 injured, 6 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Detroit Lakes?
Truck crashes in Becker County peak in February, with 11.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Detroit Lakes?
Since 2015, Becker County has reported 4 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.7% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Detroit Lakes compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 34.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Becker County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Detroit Lakes?
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.