Perham, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Perham: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Perham 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. It runs above Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
The headline for Otter Tail County: 1 in 62 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.6%, vs 2.8% in Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 466 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Otter Tail County. They injured 166 people and killed 14.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
Only 20 truck crashes were reported in Perham since 2015; patterns below come from Otter Tail County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (12.7% of the year) and are lowest in May (6.0%).
November through March accounts for 48.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 9.7% of truck crashes.
35.2% 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 Perham happened on CR-80 W Main St (1) and US-10 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
7 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.5% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Perham fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Otter Tail County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 35.2% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Otter Tail County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-80 W Main St | 1 |
| US-10 | 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 |
Perham at a glance
| Population | 3,708 |
| Land area | 3.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,037 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56573) | $68,770 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56573) | $285,640 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 14 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 41. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Perham
How many truck accidents are there in Perham?
Since 2015, 466 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Otter Tail County (166 injured, 14 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Perham?
Truck crashes in Otter Tail County peak in December, with 12.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Perham?
Since 2015, Otter Tail County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Perham compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Otter Tail County has 64.5 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Perham?
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.