Columbia, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Columbia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Columbia 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. Where it is 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
Police reported 115 crashes involving commercial trucks in Brown County since 2015: 14 people were injured and 6 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 38 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Columbia since 2015, this page uses Brown County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 12.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 4.3%.
November through March accounts for 48.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 4–5 pm than at any other hour (11.3%).
Road surface: 14.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Columbia since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-123RD St (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 Columbia fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Brown County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-123RD St | 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 |
Columbia at a glance
| Population | 157 |
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
| Density | 103 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57433) | $50,417 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 10. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Columbia
How many truck accidents are there in Columbia?
Since 2015, 115 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Brown County (14 injured, 6 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Columbia?
The worst month is October: 12.2% of truck crashes in Brown County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Columbia?
Since 2015, Brown County has reported 5 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Columbia compared with South Dakota?
Brown County records 25.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Columbia?
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.