Brainard, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Brainard: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Brainard and Brown County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Brown County numbers.
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 |
Compared with South Dakota, Brown County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Brown County at a glance: 1 in 21 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.7%, against 1.6% for South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 115 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Brown County. They injured 14 people and killed 6.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 38 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Brainard since 2015, this page uses Brown County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 12.2% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (4.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 48.1% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
By time of day, 4–5 pm stands out 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
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Brainard since 2015: CR-123RD St (1) and SR-10 (1). No single road stands out.
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 Brainard fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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 Brown County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-123RD St | 1 |
| SR-10 | 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 |
Brainard at a glance
| Population | 101 |
| Land area | 52.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57426) | $78,875 |
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.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Brainard
How common are truck crashes in Brainard?
Brown County has had 115 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 14 people and killing 6.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Brainard?
October has the most truck crashes in Brown County, 12.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Brainard?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Brown County since 2015, 4.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Brainard compare with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Brown County has 25.7 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Brainard?
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.