Des Lacs, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Des Lacs: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Des Lacs 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. It runs above North Dakota on 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.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 13 days.
Des Lacs had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Ward County numbers.
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
The worst month is August with 12.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is October at 5.8%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.2% of truck crashes, vs 47.2% for North Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (10.8%).
25.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 34.4% across North Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Des Lacs since 2015: US-2 (2), US-52 (2), CR-10 (1), CR-37 Ave Sw Ward 14 (1) and CR-54 Ave Sw (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 Des Lacs fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 25.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than North Dakota.
- 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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020; rates and comparisons skip those years.
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) |
|---|---|
| US-2 | 2 |
| US-52 | 2 |
| CR-10 | 1 |
| CR-37 Ave Sw Ward 14 | 1 |
| CR-54 Ave Sw | 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 |
Des Lacs at a glance
| Population | 178 |
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Density | 331 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58722) | $85,417 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58722) | $274,512 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 1990s and 27 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Des Lacs
How many truck crashes happen in Des Lacs?
308 truck crashes have been reported in Ward County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 146 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Des Lacs?
August has the most truck crashes in Ward County, 12.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Des Lacs?
Since 2015, Ward County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Des Lacs compare with North Dakota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Ward County has 40.6 truck crashes a year; North Dakota has 73.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Des Lacs?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
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.