Nelson, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Nelson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Nelson 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
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
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 has lower values than North Dakota for 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.
What stands out in 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.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 17 days.
Nelson had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Barnes County numbers.
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
December has the most truck crashes, 16.5% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (3.6%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 62.0% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 15.3% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 57.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Nelson since 2015.
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 Nelson fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 57.4% of truck crashes here, more than North Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Barnes County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
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 |
Nelson at a glance
| Population | 41 |
| Land area | 36.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58049) | $103,571 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58049) | $128,277 |
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 Nelson
How many truck accidents are there in Nelson?
Since 2015, 249 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Barnes County (85 injured, 2 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Nelson?
Truck crashes in Barnes County peak in December, with 16.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Nelson?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Barnes County since 2015, 0.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Nelson 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 Nelson?
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.