Pleasant Lake, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pleasant Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pleasant Lake 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
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 has lower values than South Dakota for 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.
Aurora County at a glance: 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.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 62 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Pleasant Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Aurora County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 23.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 1.5%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 66.1% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 4–5 pm than at any other hour (10.3%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 52.3% of truck crashes, compared with 28.6% in South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Pleasant Lake happened on CR-389 Ave (1), I-90 (1) and SR-258 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Aurora County.
Route planning tips for Pleasant Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 52.3% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above South Dakota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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.
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
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-389 Ave | 1 |
| I-90 | 1 |
| SR-258 | 1 |
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 |
Pleasant Lake at a glance
| Population | 60 |
| Land area | 33.9 sq mi |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57375) | $70,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57375) | $134,114 |
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 Pleasant Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Pleasant Lake?
Since 2015, 68 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Aurora County (7 injured, 6 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Pleasant Lake?
March has the most truck crashes in Aurora County, 23.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Pleasant Lake?
Since 2015, Aurora County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Pleasant Lake 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.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Pleasant Lake?
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.