South Cottonwood, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in South Cottonwood: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in South Cottonwood and Wells County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Wells County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 84 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Wells County compares with North Dakota
Wells County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Wells County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Wells County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 193.6 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 2.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 39% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 40.7% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 13.6% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 40% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.8% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.7% | 47.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.5% | 24.7% | 24.8% | same |
Wells County has lower values than North Dakota for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
Wells County at a glance: 0 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.0%, vs 0.9% in North Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 84 crashes involving commercial trucks in Wells County since 2015: 37 people were injured and 2 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 50 days.
South Cottonwood had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Wells County numbers.
81% of truck crash reports in Wells County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 14.3% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (2.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 45.7% of truck crashes, vs 47.2% for North Dakota.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 9.5% of truck crashes.
40.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 34.4% across North Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of South Cottonwood happened on US-15 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Wells County since 2015.
Route planning tips for South Cottonwood fleets
- Build extra time into May routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 40.7% of truck crashes here, more than North Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Wells County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-15 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Wells County) |
|---|---|
| US-52 | 3 |
| 46Th Ave Ne | 2 |
| 10Th St Ne | 1 |
| 23Th St Ne | 1 |
| 6Th St Se | 1 |
| Hiway 52 | 1 |
South Cottonwood at a glance
| Population | 44 |
| Land area | 35.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58418) | $55,357 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58418) | $144,039 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Wells 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 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 3 | +22% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 8 | +179% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 8 | +1% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 8. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about South Cottonwood
How common are truck crashes in South Cottonwood?
Wells County has had 84 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 37 people and killing 2.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in South Cottonwood?
The worst month is May: 14.3% of truck crashes in Wells County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in South Cottonwood?
Since 2015, Wells County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How does South Cottonwood compare with North Dakota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Wells County has 193.6 truck crashes a year; North Dakota has 73.9.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in South Cottonwood?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.