Central, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Central: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Central and Nelson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Nelson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 49 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Nelson County compares with North Dakota
Nelson County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Nelson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Nelson County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 148.1 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 51% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.33 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 30.6% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 11% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 14.3% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 37% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.2% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 24% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.7% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 22% below the state |
| After dark | 22.4% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Nelson County sits below North Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr.
The headline for Nelson County: October worst month: 20.4% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Nelson County has recorded 49 truck crashes since 2015, with 17 people injured and 1 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 82 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Central since 2015, this page uses Nelson County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
84% of truck crash reports in Nelson County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (20.4% of the year) and are lowest in May (2.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 36.7% of truck crashes, vs 47.2% for North Dakota.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 16.3% of truck crashes.
30.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 34.4% across North Dakota.
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Central since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Nelson County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Central fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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 Nelson 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 (Nelson County) |
|---|---|
| 110Th Ave Ne | 1 |
| 34Th St Ne | 1 |
| US-2 | 1 |
Central at a glance
| Population | 32 |
| Land area | 34.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58254) | $86,563 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58254) | $126,885 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Nelson 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 | 4 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 1 | -85% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 4 | +550% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 5 | +28% | 0.0 |
In the 1990s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 5. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Central
How common are truck crashes in Central?
Since 2015, 49 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Nelson County (17 injured, 1 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Central?
October has the most truck crashes in Nelson County, 20.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Central?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Nelson County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Central compare with North Dakota for truck crashes?
Nelson County records 148.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 73.9 across North Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Central?
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.