Nelson Township, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Nelson Township: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Nelson Township and Watonwan County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Watonwan County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 155 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Watonwan County compares with Minnesota
Watonwan County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Watonwan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Watonwan County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 118.5 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 3.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 30% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 51% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.3% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.7% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 25% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.5% | 20.3% | 24.8% | same |
Watonwan County has lower values than Minnesota for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and injuries per crash.
The headline for Watonwan County: 1 in 73 crashes involve a garbage truck (2 since 2015), vs 2.8% across Minnesota.
Overview
Police reported 155 crashes involving commercial trucks in Watonwan County since 2015: 77 people were injured and 4 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 28 days.
Only 5 truck crashes were reported in Nelson Township since 2015; patterns below come from Watonwan County as a whole.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 13.5% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (3.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.9% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (11.6%).
Road surface: 25.3% 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 Nelson happened on SR-30 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Nelson Township fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Watonwan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-30 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Watonwan County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 60 | 56 |
| Mnth 15 | 26 |
| Hwy | 8 |
| Mnth 4 | 4 |
| 10Th St | 3 |
| 7Th Ave | 3 |
| Mnth 30 | 3 |
| 250Th St | 2 |
Nelson Township at a glance
| Population | 236 |
| Land area | 35.6 sq mi |
| Density | 7 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56056) | $105,000 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56056) | $110,085 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Watonwan 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 | 3 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 7 | +158% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 11 | +49% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 14 | +29% | 0.2 |
In the 1990s about 3 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 14. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Nelson Township
How many truck crashes happen in Nelson Township?
Since 2015, 155 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Watonwan County (77 injured, 4 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Nelson Township?
The worst month is March: 13.5% of truck crashes in Watonwan County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Nelson Township?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Watonwan County since 2015, 1.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Nelson Township compared with Minnesota?
Watonwan County records 118.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Nelson Township?
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.