Meadow Lake, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Meadow Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Meadow Lake and Barnes County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Barnes County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 249 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Barnes County compares with North Dakota
Barnes County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Barnes County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Barnes County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 199.5 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 2.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 80% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 57.4% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.4% | 22.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.9% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 62.0% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 26.6% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Barnes County sits below North Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Barnes County: December worst month: 16.5% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 249 crashes involving commercial trucks in Barnes County since 2015: 85 people were injured and 2 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 17 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Meadow Lake since 2015, this page uses Barnes County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
73% of truck crash reports in Barnes County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 16.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 3.6%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 62.0% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (15.3%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 57.4% of truck crashes, compared with 34.4% in North Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Meadow Lake since 2015 were spread across roads: I-94 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.8% of the total, against 0.9% across North Dakota.
Route planning tips for Meadow Lake fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Barnes County.
- 57.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above North Dakota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Barnes County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Barnes County) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 8 |
| I-94W | 2 |
| 118Th Ave Ne | 1 |
| 12Th Ave Se | 1 |
| 18Th St Se | 1 |
| 24Th St Se | 1 |
| 33Rd St Se | 1 |
| 7Th Ave Se | 1 |
Meadow Lake at a glance
| Population | 80 |
| Land area | 36.1 sq mi |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58497) | $115,357 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Barnes 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 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 6 | -46% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 15 | +141% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 26 | +68% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12 to 26. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Meadow Lake
How common are truck crashes in Meadow Lake?
Barnes County has had 249 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 85 people and killing 2.
When do most truck crashes happen in Meadow Lake?
December has the most truck crashes in Barnes County, 16.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Meadow Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Barnes County since 2015 (0.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Meadow Lake compare with North Dakota?
Barnes County records 199.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 73.9 across North Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Meadow Lake?
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.