Shelby, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Shelby: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Shelby 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
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
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 sits below South Dakota 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.
The headline for Brown County: 1 in 21 crashes involve a garbage truck (5 since 2015), vs 1.6% across South Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 115 crashes involving commercial trucks in Brown County since 2015: 14 people were injured and 6 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 38 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Shelby since 2015; patterns below come from Brown County as a whole.
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.
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
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Shelby since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
5 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.3% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Shelby fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Brown County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
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 |
Shelby at a glance
| Population | 80 |
| Land area | 48.8 sq mi |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57449) | $150,000 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 8 to 10. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Shelby
How many truck accidents are there in Shelby?
Since 2015, 115 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Brown County (14 injured, 6 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Shelby?
Truck crashes in Brown County peak in October, with 12.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Shelby?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Brown County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Shelby 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 Shelby?
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.