Cooper, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cooper: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cooper and Aurora County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Aurora County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 68 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Aurora County compares with South Dakota
Aurora County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Aurora County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Aurora County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 214.7 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 5.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 9.2 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.06 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 54% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 52.3% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 4.6% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 79% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.6% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 66.1% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 36.9% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.6× the state |
Compared with South Dakota, Aurora County is lower on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Aurora County: March 23.5% of truck crashes happen in March, more than any other month.
Overview
Aurora County has recorded 68 truck crashes since 2015, with 7 people injured and 6 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 62 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Cooper since 2015; patterns below come from Aurora County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (23.5% of the year) and are lowest in July (1.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 66.1% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 4–5 pm, with 10.3% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 52.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Cooper since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Aurora County.
Route planning tips for Cooper fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Aurora County.
- 52.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above South Dakota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Aurora 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 (Aurora County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 44 |
| US-281 | 14 |
| Ave | 3 |
| Old Hwy 16 | 2 |
| Sd Hwy 258 | 1 |
Cooper at a glance
| Population | 17 |
| Land area | 33.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57368) | $74,688 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57368) | $185,308 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Aurora 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 | 6 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 5 | -22% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 5 | -6% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 8 | +60% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 8 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cooper
How many truck crashes happen in Cooper?
68 truck crashes have been reported in Aurora County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 7 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Cooper?
March has the most truck crashes in Aurora County, 23.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cooper?
Since 2015, Aurora County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Cooper compare with South Dakota?
The yearly rate is 214.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Aurora County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Cooper?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.