Elmira, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elmira: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elmira and Codington County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Codington County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 133 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Codington County compares with South Dakota
Codington County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Codington County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Codington County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.3 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 11% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 31% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 31.7% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.5% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.0% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.0% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 17.5% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Codington County has lower values than South Dakota for crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Codington County: 1 in 40 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.5%, against 1.6% for South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 133 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Codington County. They injured 12 people and killed 6.
That averages about one truck crash every 33 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Elmira since 2015; patterns below come from Codington County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (12.8% of the year) and are lowest in November (4.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.0% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 31.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Elmira is US-212, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come 20 Ave (1), CR-455TH Ave (1) and SR-19 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 2.3%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Elmira fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-212, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- With 31.7% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above South Dakota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Codington County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-212 | 2 |
| 20 Ave | 1 |
| CR-455TH Ave | 1 |
| SR-19 | 1 |
| SR-20 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Codington County) |
|---|---|
| US-212 | 37 |
| I-29 | 31 |
| Sd Hwy 20 | 14 |
| Ave Se | 10 |
| US-81 | 10 |
| Ave | 7 |
| Ave Ne | 3 |
| St Se | 3 |
Elmira at a glance
| Population | 443 |
| Land area | 29.5 sq mi |
| Density | 15 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57201) | $72,878 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57201) | $239,595 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Codington 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 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 10 | +28% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 9 | -9% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 13 | +45% | 1.2 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 13. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elmira
How common are truck crashes in Elmira?
133 truck crashes have been reported in Codington County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 12 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Elmira?
Since 2015, US-212 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elmira: 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Elmira?
March has the most truck crashes in Codington County, 12.8% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Elmira?
Since 2015, Codington County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Elmira compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 37.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Codington County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Elmira?
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.