Dead Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dead Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Dead Lake and Otter Tail County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Otter Tail County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 466 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Otter Tail County compares with Minnesota
Otter Tail County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Otter Tail County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Otter Tail County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 64.5 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 8% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 42% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 35.2% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.2% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.9% | 19.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.1% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.0% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Otter Tail County sits below Minnesota on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
What stands out in Otter Tail County: 1 in 62 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.6%, vs 2.8% in Minnesota.
Overview
Police reported 466 crashes involving commercial trucks in Otter Tail County since 2015: 166 people were injured and 14 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
Only 3 truck crashes were reported in Dead Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Otter Tail County as a whole.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 12.7% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (6.0%).
November through March accounts for 48.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 35.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Dead Lake happened on SR-78 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 1.5%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Dead Lake fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 35.2% 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
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 Otter Tail County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-78 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Otter Tail County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 146 |
| Usth 10 | 35 |
| Mnth 210 | 23 |
| Mnth 29 | 12 |
| Mnth 78 | 12 |
| Usth 59 | 11 |
| Mnth 108 | 10 |
| Csah 75 | 6 |
Dead Lake at a glance
| Population | 534 |
| Land area | 24.5 sq mi |
| Density | 22 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56576) | $63,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56576) | $395,204 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Otter Tail 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 | 14 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 28 | +97% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 34 | +21% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 41 | +19% | 1.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 1990s and 41 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, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Dead Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Dead Lake?
466 truck crashes have been reported in Otter Tail County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 166 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Dead Lake?
Truck crashes in Otter Tail County peak in December, with 12.7% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Dead Lake?
7 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Otter Tail County since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Dead Lake compare with Minnesota?
Otter Tail County records 64.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Dead Lake?
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.