Rusk, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rusk: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rusk and Day County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Day County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 53 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Day County compares with South Dakota
Day County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Day County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Day County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 80.7 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 1.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 60% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 8% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.1% | 28.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.9% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.4% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 41% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 35.4% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 27% below the state |
| After dark | 25.0% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Day County sits below South Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and after dark.
The headline for Day County: February worst month: 15.1% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Day County has recorded 53 truck crashes since 2015, with 7 people injured and 2 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 84 days.
Rusk had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Day County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 15.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 1.9%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 35.4% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 13.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 27.1% 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 Rusk happened on US-12 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.9% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Rusk fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Day 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 (Day County) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 39 |
| Sd Hwy 25 | 4 |
| Ave | 1 |
| Main Street | 1 |
| Sd Hwy 27 | 1 |
Rusk at a glance
| Population | 125 |
| Land area | 35.2 sq mi |
| Density | 4 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57274) | $68,083 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57274) | $169,017 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Day 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 | 3 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 3 | +7% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 5 | +53% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 5 | +5% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 5 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rusk
How many truck accidents are there in Rusk?
Day County has had 53 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 7 people and killing 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Rusk?
Truck crashes in Day County peak in February, with 15.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Rusk?
Since 2015, Day County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 1.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Rusk compared with South Dakota?
The yearly rate is 80.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Day County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Rusk?
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.