Southwest, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Southwest: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Southwest and Sargent County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sargent County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 33 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Sargent County compares with North Dakota
Sargent County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sargent County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sargent County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 71.1 | 73.9 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.5× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.7% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 40% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 10.3% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 54% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.9% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 57% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.8% | 47.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 13.8% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 44% below the state |
Sargent County sits below North Dakota on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Sargent County at a glance: October worst month: 24.2% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 33 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sargent County. They injured 15 people and killed 2.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 138 days.
Southwest had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sargent County numbers.
88% of truck crash reports in Sargent 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, 24.2% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (0.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.8% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 21.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 20.7% 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 Southwest since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 3.0%, compared with 0.9% in North Dakota.
Route planning tips for Southwest fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Sargent 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 (Sargent County) |
|---|---|
| 98Th St Se | 2 |
| 138Th Ave Se | 1 |
| 149Th Ave Se | 1 |
| SR-11 | 1 |
Southwest at a glance
| Population | 12 |
| Land area | 36.0 sq mi |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58017) | $61,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58017) | $86,462 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sargent 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 | 2 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 1 | -40% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 3 | +200% | 0.0 |
| 2020s | 2 | -32% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 2. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Southwest
How common are truck crashes in Southwest?
Sargent County has had 33 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 15 people and killing 2.
When do most truck crashes happen in Southwest?
Truck crashes in Sargent County peak in October, with 24.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Southwest?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Sargent County since 2015 (3.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Southwest compared with North Dakota?
Sargent County records 71.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 73.9 across North Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Southwest?
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.