Rush Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rush Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rush 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 has lower values than Minnesota for injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
Otter Tail County at a glance: 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.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
With 2 truck crashes reported in Rush Lake since 2015, this page uses Otter Tail County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 12.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 6.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.1% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (9.7%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 35.2% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Rush Lake since 2015: CR-80 W Main St (1), SR-78 (1) and US-10 (1). No single road stands out.
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 Rush Lake fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 35.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Minnesota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 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 |
| SR-78 | 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 |
Rush Lake at a glance
| Population | 1,057 |
| Land area | 26.7 sq mi |
| Density | 40 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56571) | $85,865 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56571) | $362,803 |
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 large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rush Lake
How common are truck crashes in Rush Lake?
466 truck crashes have been reported in Otter Tail County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 166 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Rush Lake?
Truck crashes in Otter Tail County peak in December, with 12.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Rush Lake?
Since 2015, Otter Tail County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Rush Lake compared with Minnesota?
Otter Tail County records 64.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Rush 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.