Freedom, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Freedom: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Freedom 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 |
Ward County has lower values than North Dakota for 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.
What stands out in Ward County: August 12.7% of truck crashes happen in August, more than any other month.
Overview
Since 2015, 308 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Ward County. They injured 146 people and killed 16.
That averages about one truck crash every 13 days in fully reported years.
Freedom 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%.
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.
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 Freedom since 2015: US-83 (2), CR-37 Ave Sw Ward 14 (1) and SR-23 (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 Freedom fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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
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.
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-83 | 2 |
| CR-37 Ave Sw Ward 14 | 1 |
| SR-23 | 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 |
Freedom at a glance
| Population | 157 |
| Land area | 35.4 sq mi |
| Density | 4 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. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Freedom
How many truck accidents are there in Freedom?
Ward County has had 308 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 146 people and killing 16.
When do most truck crashes happen in Freedom?
August has the most truck crashes in Ward County, 12.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Freedom?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Ward County since 2015, 1.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Freedom compare with North Dakota?
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 Freedom?
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.