Afton, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Afton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Afton and Ward County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ward County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 308 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ward County compares with North Dakota
Ward County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ward County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ward County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.6 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 45% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.2% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 27% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.8% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 64% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.2% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 17.3% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 30% below the state |
Compared with North Dakota, Ward County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Ward County at a glance: August the month with the most truck crashes: 12.7% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 308 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ward County since 2015: 146 people were injured and 16 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 13 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Afton since 2015, this page uses Ward County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
72% of truck crash reports in Ward County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 12.7% of the yearly total, while October has the fewest (5.8%).
November through March accounts for 43.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 47.2% in North Dakota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 10.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 25.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Afton since 2015: CR-37 Ave Sw Ward 14 (1) and US-83 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 3 crashes, 1.0% of the total, against 0.9% across North Dakota.
Route planning tips for Afton fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 25.2% 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
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.
Crash reporting for 2020 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Ward County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-37 Ave Sw Ward 14 | 1 |
| US-83 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ward County) |
|---|---|
| US-2 | 7 |
| US-83 | 4 |
| 128Th Ave Nw | 3 |
| 13Th Ave Se | 3 |
| 27Th St Se | 2 |
| US-52 | 2 |
| - Rd | 1 |
| 100Th St Sw | 1 |
Afton at a glance
| Population | 831 |
| Land area | 35.1 sq mi |
| Density | 24 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58701) | $73,269 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58701) | $277,658 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ward 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 | 14 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 8 | -42% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 33 | +308% | 2.4 |
| 2020s | 27 | -17% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 14 to 27. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Afton
How common are truck crashes in Afton?
Ward County has had 308 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 146 people and killing 16.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Afton?
The worst month is August: 12.7% of truck crashes in Ward County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Afton?
Since 2015, Ward County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Afton compare with North Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Ward County has 40.6 truck crashes a year; North Dakota has 73.9.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Afton?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.