Sarnia, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sarnia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sarnia 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. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr.
What stands out in Nelson County: October 20.4% of truck crashes happen in October, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 49 crashes involving commercial trucks in Nelson County since 2015: 17 people were injured and 1 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 82 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Sarnia since 2015; patterns below come from Nelson County as a whole.
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
October has the most truck crashes, 20.4% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (2.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.7% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 16.3% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 30.6% 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 Sarnia since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Nelson County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Sarnia 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
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
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 |
Sarnia at a glance
| Population | 47 |
| Land area | 34.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58224) | $128,125 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 5. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sarnia
How common are truck crashes in Sarnia?
Nelson County has had 49 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 17 people and killing 1.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Sarnia?
Truck crashes in Nelson County peak in October, with 20.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Sarnia?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Nelson County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Sarnia compare with North Dakota?
The yearly rate is 148.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Nelson County, vs 73.9 for North Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Sarnia?
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.