Alton, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Alton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Alton and Brookings County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Brookings County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 157 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Brookings County compares with South Dakota
Brookings County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Brookings County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Brookings County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.0 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.7 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 48% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 8% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 16% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.4% | 28.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.3% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.5% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 11% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.3% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.9% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 26% below the state |
Brookings County sits below South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Brookings County: March worst month: 13.4% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 157 crashes involving commercial trucks in Brookings County since 2015: 19 people were injured and 5 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 27 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Alton since 2015; patterns below come from Brookings County as a whole.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 13.4% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (4.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.3% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (12.1%).
Road surface: 28.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Alton since 2015: I-29 (1) and US-14 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 1.3%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Alton fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 24.3% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than South Dakota.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Brookings County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-29 | 1 |
| US-14 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Brookings County) |
|---|---|
| I-29 | 54 |
| US-14 | 32 |
| Ave | 27 |
| Sd Hwy 324 | 4 |
| Us Hwy 14 B | 4 |
| 22Nd Ave | 3 |
| Sd Hwy 30 | 3 |
| 8Th St | 2 |
Alton at a glance
| Population | 261 |
| Land area | 35.2 sq mi |
| Density | 7 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57002) | $93,214 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57002) | $238,912 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Brookings 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 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 7 | +29% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 11 | +58% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 16 | +43% | 0.2 |
In the 1990s about 6 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 16. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Alton
How common are truck crashes in Alton?
Since 2015, 157 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Brookings County (19 injured, 5 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Alton?
March has the most truck crashes in Brookings County, 13.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Alton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Brookings County since 2015 (1.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Alton compare with South Dakota?
The yearly rate is 37.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Brookings County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Alton?
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.