Sand Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sand Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sand Lake and Itasca County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Itasca County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 169 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Itasca County compares with Minnesota
Itasca County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Itasca County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Itasca County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 17% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.4% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.2% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.8% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.5% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Itasca County has lower values than Minnesota for crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. It runs above Minnesota on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Itasca County: 8.6 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.0 across Minnesota.
Overview
Itasca County has recorded 169 truck crashes since 2015, with 85 people injured and 14 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 25 days.
Sand Lake had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Itasca County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (16.0% of the year) and are lowest in March (2.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.8% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 28.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Sand Lake since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
5 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Sand Lake fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Itasca County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 28.4% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Itasca County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Itasca County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 2 | 36 |
| Usth 169 | 23 |
| Hwy | 9 |
| Mnth 38 | 6 |
| Mnth 6 | 6 |
| 4Th St Ne | 5 |
| Mnth 46 | 5 |
| 4Th St Nw | 4 |
Sand Lake at a glance
| Population | 186 |
| Land area | 29.5 sq mi |
| Density | 6 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56680) | $51,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56680) | $274,223 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Itasca 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 | 3 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | +471% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 16 | +3% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 14 | -14% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 14 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sand Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Sand Lake?
169 truck crashes have been reported in Itasca County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 85 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Sand Lake?
Truck crashes in Itasca County peak in January, with 16.0% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Sand Lake?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Itasca County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Sand Lake compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 32.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Itasca County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Sand Lake?
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.