Cottonwood Township, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cottonwood Township: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cottonwood Township and Clark County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Clark County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 26 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Clark County compares with South Dakota
Clark County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Clark County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Clark County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 52.6 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 26.1 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 5.0× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.26 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 2.0× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.0% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 54% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.7% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.7% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 50% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 34.8% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 29% below the state |
| After dark | 17.4% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Compared with South Dakota, Clark County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Clark County: 26.1 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 5.2 across South Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 26 crashes involving commercial trucks in Clark County since 2015: 6 people were injured and 7 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 175 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Cottonwood Township since 2015; patterns below come from Clark County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (26.9% of the year) and are lowest in June (0.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 34.8% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 15.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 13.0% of truck crashes, compared with 28.6% in South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Cottonwood since 2015 were spread across roads: Sr- 20 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Clark County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Cottonwood Township fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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 Clark County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Sr- 20 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Clark County) |
|---|---|
| US-212 | 8 |
| Sd Hwy 20 | 4 |
| Sd Hwy 25 | 4 |
| Ave | 3 |
| Sd Hwy 28 | 3 |
| 424Th Ave | 1 |
Cottonwood Township at a glance
| Population | 86 |
| Land area | 34.9 sq mi |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57217) | $64,125 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Clark 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 | 1 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 2 | +57% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 3 | +23% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 2 | -14% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 1 truck crash a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 2. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cottonwood Township
How many truck crashes happen in Cottonwood Township?
Since 2015, 26 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Clark County (6 injured, 7 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Cottonwood Township?
October has the most truck crashes in Clark County, 26.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Cottonwood Township?
Since 2015, Clark County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Cottonwood Township compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Clark County has 52.6 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cottonwood Township?
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.