French, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in French: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in French and St. Louis County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use St. Louis County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How St. Louis County compares with Minnesota
St. Louis County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where St. Louis County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | St. Louis County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 27.0 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 31% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.37 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 34.0% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.1% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.3% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 52.3% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 15.4% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
St. Louis County sits below Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
St. Louis County at a glance: 5.4 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Minnesota: 3.0).
Overview
Since 2015, 632 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in St. Louis County. They injured 250 people and killed 32.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
French had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use St. Louis County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 14.1% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 52.3% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (9.8%).
Road surface: 34.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of French.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 21 crashes, 3.3% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in December (24%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 5.0 deaths compared with 5.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for French fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in St. Louis County.
- Morning starts matter: 29.1% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Minnesota.
- With 34.0% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Minnesota), plan winter equipment 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 St. Louis 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 (St. Louis County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 53 | 90 |
| I-35 | 40 |
| Usth 2 | 26 |
| Usth 169 | 26 |
| Miller Trunk Hwy | 16 |
| Hwy | 11 |
| Mnth 135 | 10 |
| Mnth 73 | 10 |
French at a glance
| Population | 556 |
| Land area | 33.0 sq mi |
| Density | 17 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55781) | $101,406 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55781) | $419,340 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in St. Louis 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 | 12 | — | 2.5 |
| 2000s | 58 | +381% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 56 | -2% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 51 | -9% | 2.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 12 a year in the 1990s and 51 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about French
How many truck accidents are there in French?
632 truck crashes have been reported in St. Louis County since 2015, with 32 deaths and 250 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in French?
Truck crashes in St. Louis County peak in January, with 14.1% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in French?
Garbage trucks were involved in 21 reported crashes in St. Louis County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
How does French compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
St. Louis County records 27.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in French?
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.