Kern, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kern: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Kern and Hettinger County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hettinger County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 22 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Hettinger County compares with North Dakota
Hettinger County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hettinger County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hettinger County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 75.2 | 73.9 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 100% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.25 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 24% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.0% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 27% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.0% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 0.0% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 100% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.0% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 15% below the state |
| After dark | 10.0% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 59% below the state |
Hettinger County has lower values than North Dakota for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above North Dakota on morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Hettinger County: January the month with the most truck crashes: 22.7% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 22 crashes involving commercial trucks in Hettinger County since 2015: 5 people were injured and 0 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 201 days in fully reported years.
Kern had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Hettinger County numbers.
91% of truck crash reports in Hettinger County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (22.7% of the year) and are lowest in February (0.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.0% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
By time of day, 5–6 pm stands out with 18.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 25.0% of truck crashes, compared with 34.4% in North Dakota.
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Kern since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Hettinger County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Kern fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 30.0% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above North Dakota; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Hettinger 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 (Hettinger County) |
|---|---|
| 87Th Ave Sw | 1 |
Kern at a glance
| Population | 14 |
| Land area | 32.4 sq mi |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58646) | $56,667 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58646) | $91,881 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Hettinger 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 | 1 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 1 | -30% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 2 | +162% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 2 | -13% | 0.0 |
In the 1990s about 1 truck crash a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 2. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Kern
How common are truck crashes in Kern?
Hettinger County has had 22 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 5 people and killing 0.
When do most truck crashes happen in Kern?
January has the most truck crashes in Hettinger County, 22.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Kern?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Hettinger County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Kern compared with North Dakota?
The yearly rate is 75.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Hettinger County, vs 73.9 for North Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Kern?
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.