Gales, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Gales: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Gales 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 |
Aurora County sits below South Dakota on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Aurora County at a glance: March worst month: 23.5% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Aurora County has recorded 68 truck crashes since 2015, with 7 people injured and 6 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 62 days in fully reported years.
Gales had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Aurora County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 23.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 1.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 66.1% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 4–5 pm than at any other hour (10.3%).
52.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 28.6% across South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Gales since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Aurora County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Gales fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 52.3% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 |
Gales at a glance
| Population | 47 |
| Land area | 36.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57383) | $62,917 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57383) | $107,755 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 6 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 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Gales
How many truck accidents are there in Gales?
Aurora County has had 68 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 7 people and killing 6.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Gales?
March has the most truck crashes in Aurora County, 23.5% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Gales?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Aurora County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Gales compare with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Aurora County has 214.7 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Gales?
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.