Groton, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Groton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Groton 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 |
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 stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Brown County: 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.
That averages about one truck crash every 38 days in fully reported years.
Groton had 2 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Brown County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 12.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 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
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Groton happened on US-12 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 4.3% of the total, against 1.6% across South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Groton 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) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 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 |
Groton at a glance
| Population | 1,343 |
| Land area | 1.8 sq mi |
| Density | 767 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57445) | $84,948 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57445) | $192,801 |
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. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Groton
How many truck crashes happen in Groton?
115 truck crashes have been reported in Brown County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 14 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Groton?
October has the most truck crashes in Brown County, 12.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Groton?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Brown County since 2015, 4.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Groton compared with South Dakota?
The yearly rate is 25.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Brown County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Groton?
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.