Balaton, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Balaton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Balaton and Lyon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lyon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 163 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lyon County compares with Minnesota
Lyon County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lyon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lyon County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.8 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 24.8% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.2% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 30% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 52.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 14.6% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 28% below the state |
Lyon County sits below Minnesota on in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Lyon County at a glance: March worst month: 12.9% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 163 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lyon County since 2015: 83 people were injured and 5 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 26 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Balaton since 2015, this page uses Lyon County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 12.9% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (2.5%).
November through March accounts for 52.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 12.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 24.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Balaton since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-20 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
5 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.1% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Balaton fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 31.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Minnesota; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Lyon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-20 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lyon County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 23 | 45 |
| Mnth 19 | 16 |
| Usth 59 | 15 |
| Mnth 68 | 8 |
| W Main St | 7 |
| E Main St | 6 |
| Hwy | 5 |
| 340Th St | 4 |
Balaton at a glance
| Population | 585 |
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
| Density | 403 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56115) | $64,000 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56115) | $186,207 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lyon 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 | 8 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 13 | +64% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 14 | +10% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 15 | +6% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 8 to 15. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Balaton
How common are truck crashes in Balaton?
Since 2015, 163 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lyon County (83 injured, 5 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Balaton?
The worst month is March: 12.9% of truck crashes in Lyon County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Balaton?
Since 2015, Lyon County has reported 5 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
How does Balaton compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 55.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lyon County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Balaton?
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.