Oak Lake, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Oak Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Oak Lake 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 |
Compared with South Dakota, Brookings County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above South Dakota on morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for 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.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 27 days.
Oak Lake had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Brookings County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 13.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 4.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.3% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 12.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 28.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Oak Lake happened on I-29 (1) and SR-15 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Oak Lake fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Brookings County.
- 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 |
| SR-15 | 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 |
Oak Lake at a glance
| Population | 98 |
| Land area | 35.8 sq mi |
| Density | 3 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57276) | $67,639 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57276) | $176,655 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 6 to 16. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Oak Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Oak Lake?
Brookings County has had 157 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 19 people and killing 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Oak Lake?
Truck crashes in Brookings County peak in March, with 13.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Oak Lake?
Since 2015, Brookings County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Oak Lake compare with South Dakota?
Brookings County records 37.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Oak Lake?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.