Plains, MT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Plains: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Plains and Sanders County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sanders County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 90 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Sanders County compares with Montana
Sanders County against Montana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sanders County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sanders County | Montana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.0 | 64.3 | 49.7 | 14% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.30 | 0.34 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.4% | 39.4% | 6.2% | 46% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.2% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.1% | 20.6% | 13.8% | 36% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.2% | 54.3% | 41.9% | 17% below the state |
| After dark | 22.6% | 30.8% | 24.8% | 26% below the state |
Sanders County sits below Montana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes.
The headline for Sanders County: 0 crashes involve a garbage truck (0 since 2015), vs 0.9% across Montana.
Overview
Police reported 90 crashes involving commercial trucks in Sanders County since 2015: 25 people were injured and 5 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 48 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Plains since 2015; patterns below come from Sanders County as a whole.
88% of truck crash reports in Sanders County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 16.7% of the yearly total, while August has the fewest (1.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.2% of truck crashes, against 54.3% across Montana.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 14.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 21.4% of truck crashes, compared with 39.4% in Montana.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Plains since 2015: SR-200 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Sanders County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Plains fleets
- Plan May schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sanders County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Sanders County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-200 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sanders County) |
|---|---|
| Cottonwood Creek Rd | 1 |
| Mm 102.5 Hwy 200 | 1 |
| Mm 112.8 Mt 200 | 1 |
| Mm 13.8 Hwy 135- | 1 |
| Mm 5.5 Hwy 28 | 1 |
| Mm 84.4 Hwy 200 | 1 |
| Mm13.5 Mt135 | 1 |
Plains at a glance
| Population | 1,244 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 2,023 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 59859) | $64,846 |
| Median home value (ZIP 59859) | $426,816 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sanders 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 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 10 | +7180% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 7 | -33% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 8 | +21% | 0.8 |
In the 2000s about 10 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 8. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Plains
How many truck crashes happen in Plains?
90 truck crashes have been reported in Sanders County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 25 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Plains?
The worst month is May: 16.7% of truck crashes in Sanders County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Plains?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Sanders County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Plains compared with Montana?
Per 100,000 residents, Sanders County has 55.0 truck crashes a year; Montana has 64.3.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Plains?
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.