Merrill, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Merrill: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Merrill 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 |
Compared with North Dakota, Hettinger County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above North Dakota on morning rush (6–10 am).
Hettinger County at a glance: January 22.7% of truck crashes happen in January, more than any other month.
Overview
Hettinger County has recorded 22 truck crashes since 2015, with 5 people injured and 0 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 201 days.
Merrill 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
January has the most truck crashes, 22.7% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (0.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.0% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 5–6 pm than at any other hour (18.2%).
Road surface: 25.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Merrill since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Hettinger County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Merrill 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.
- 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 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 |
Merrill at a glance
| Population | 6 |
| Land area | 32.0 sq mi |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58562) | $62,955 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 1 a year in the 1990s and 2 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Merrill
How many truck accidents are there in Merrill?
22 truck crashes have been reported in Hettinger County since 2015, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Merrill?
January has the most truck crashes in Hettinger County, 22.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Merrill?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Hettinger County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Merrill compare with North Dakota?
Hettinger County records 75.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 73.9 across North Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Merrill?
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.