Elmdale, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elmdale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elmdale 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
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
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 |
Ward County sits below North Dakota 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 worst month: 12.7% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 308 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ward County since 2015: 146 people were injured and 16 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 13 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Elmdale since 2015; patterns below come from Ward County as a whole.
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
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elmdale since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.0% share (North Dakota: 0.9%).
Route planning tips for Elmdale fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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
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 (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 |
Elmdale at a glance
| Population | 44 |
| Land area | 35.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58746) | $70,263 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58746) | $145,566 |
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 Elmdale
How common are truck crashes in Elmdale?
Since 2015, 308 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Ward County (146 injured, 16 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Elmdale?
August has the most truck crashes in Ward County, 12.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Elmdale?
Garbage trucks were involved in 3 reported crashes in Ward County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
How does Elmdale compare with North Dakota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 40.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ward County, vs 73.9 for North Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Elmdale?
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.