Dawson County, MT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dawson County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 178 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dawson County compares with Montana
Dawson County against Montana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dawson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dawson County | Montana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 177.0 | 64.3 | 49.7 | 2.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.2 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 68% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.34 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.6% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 36% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 35.3% | 39.4% | 6.2% | 10% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.8% | 22.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.2% | 20.6% | 13.8% | 11% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.3% | 54.3% | 41.9% | 17% below the state |
| After dark | 38.8% | 30.8% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Dawson County has lower values than Montana for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Montana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and after dark.
What stands out in Dawson County: October 15.2% of truck crashes happen in October, more than any other month.
Overview
Dawson County has recorded 178 truck crashes since 2015, with 77 people injured and 3 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 24 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 15.2% of the yearly total, while August has the fewest (3.4%).
November through March accounts for 45.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 54.3% in Montana.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (10.7%).
Road surface: 35.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Montana: 39.4%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes in Dawson County since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-16 (1) and SR-200 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.6%, compared with 0.9% in Montana.
Route planning tips for Dawson County fleets
- Build extra time into October 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
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 Dawson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Dawson County) |
|---|---|
| SR-16 | 1 |
| SR-200 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dawson County) |
|---|---|
| I94W Mm211 Exit Ramp | 1 |
| Mm 222.7 I-94 | 1 |
| Mm 323.2 Hwy 200S | 1 |
| Mm1 Mt-16 | 1 |
| Mm10.6 Hwy 16 | 1 |
| Mm194.2 I-94 | 1 |
| Mm194.4 I94E | 1 |
| Mm223.7 I94E | 1 |
Dawson County at a glance
| Population | 8,731 |
| Land area | 2,371.9 sq mi |
| Density | 4 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $71,843 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dawson 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 | — | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 8 | — | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 13 | +71% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 17 | +35% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 2000s and 17 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Dawson County
ZIP codes in Dawson County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Dawson County
How many truck accidents are there in Dawson County?
Since 2015, 178 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dawson County (77 injured, 3 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Dawson County?
October has the most truck crashes in Dawson County, 15.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Dawson County?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Dawson County since 2015, 0.6% of all truck crashes.
How does Dawson County compare with Montana for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 177.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dawson County, vs 64.3 for Montana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Dawson County?
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.