Brown County, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Brown County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 115 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Brown County compares with South Dakota
Brown County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Brown County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Brown County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 25.7 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 39% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.7 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.7% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.1% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 51% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.4% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 46% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.1% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.1% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 34% below the state |
Brown County has lower values than South Dakota for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above South Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Brown County at a glance: 1 in 21 crashes involve a garbage truck (5 since 2015), vs 1.6% across South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 115 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Brown County. They injured 14 people and killed 6.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 38 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (12.2% of the year) and are lowest in May (4.3%).
November through March accounts for 48.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 4–5 pm, with 11.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.1% of truck crashes, compared with 28.6% in South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes in Brown County since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-123RD St (1), CR-379TH Ave (1), SR-10 (1), US-12 (1) and US-281 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Brown County fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Brown County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Brown County) |
|---|---|
| CR-123RD St | 1 |
| CR-379TH Ave | 1 |
| SR-10 | 1 |
| US-12 | 1 |
| US-281 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Brown County) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 46 |
| US-281 | 17 |
| Ave | 12 |
| Sd Hwy 37 | 10 |
| Sd Hwy 10 | 5 |
| 5Th St | 2 |
| 10Th Ave Sw Sw | 1 |
| 412Th Ave. | 1 |
Brown County at a glance
| Population | 37,495 |
| Land area | 1,713.0 sq mi |
| Density | 22 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $72,851 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Brown 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 | 8 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 9 | +11% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 11 | +22% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 10 | -16% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 10 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Brown County
ZIP codes in Brown County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Brown County
How many truck accidents are there in Brown County?
Since 2015, 115 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Brown County (14 injured, 6 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Brown County?
The worst month is October: 12.2% of truck crashes in Brown County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Brown County?
Since 2015, Brown County has reported 5 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Brown County compared with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Brown County has 25.7 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Brown County?
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.