Carter, MT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carter: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carter and Chouteau County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Chouteau County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 65 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Chouteau County compares with Montana
Chouteau County against Montana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Chouteau County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Chouteau County | Montana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 86.6 | 64.3 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 16.1 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.34 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.9% | 39.4% | 6.2% | 77% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.8% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 3.6% | 20.6% | 13.8% | 83% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 54.3% | 41.9% | 28% below the state |
| After dark | 12.5% | 30.8% | 24.8% | 59% below the state |
Compared with Montana, Chouteau County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Chouteau County: 16.1 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.8 in Montana.
Overview
Chouteau County has recorded 65 truck crashes since 2015, with 24 people injured and 9 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 72 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Carter since 2015; patterns below come from Chouteau County as a whole.
72% of truck crash reports in Chouteau County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (13.8% of the year) and are lowest in April (3.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.3% of truck crashes, vs 54.3% for Montana.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (12.3%).
Road surface: 8.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Montana: 39.4%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Carter since 2015 were spread across roads: US-87 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Chouteau County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Carter fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Chouteau County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 26.8% of truck crashes here, more than Montana; adjust start times where you can.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Chouteau County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-87 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Chouteau County) |
|---|---|
| Mm 80.3 Us Hwy 87 | 2 |
| Mm20.5 Us Highway 87 | 2 |
| Bootlegger Trl Nb Mp 29 | 1 |
| Mm 8.1 Mt Highway 80 | 1 |
| Mm47.3 Us87 | 1 |
| S Hwy 223 | 1 |
| Us Hwy 87 Mm 31.8 | 1 |
Carter at a glance
| Land area | 2.9 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 59420) | $88,438 |
| Median home value (ZIP 59420) | $123,007 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Chouteau 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 | — | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 4 | — | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 4 | +9% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 6 | +46% | 0.4 |
In the 2000s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 6. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carter
How many truck crashes happen in Carter?
65 truck crashes have been reported in Chouteau County since 2015, with 9 deaths and 24 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Carter?
July has the most truck crashes in Chouteau County, 13.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Carter?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Chouteau County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Carter compare with Montana?
Chouteau County records 86.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 64.3 across Montana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Carter?
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.