Cottonwood Lake, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cottonwood Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cottonwood Lake and Edmunds County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Edmunds County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 32 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Edmunds County compares with South Dakota
Edmunds County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Edmunds County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Edmunds County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 70.0 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 12.9 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 2.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 2.5× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.8% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 10% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 32.3% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 1.5× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.7% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 45% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 7% below the state |
| After dark | 16.1% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Edmunds County has lower values than South Dakota for garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Edmunds County: 12.9 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 5.2 in South Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 32 crashes involving commercial trucks in Edmunds County since 2015: 10 people were injured and 4 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 130 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Cottonwood Lake since 2015, this page uses Edmunds County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in November (15.6% of the year) and are lowest in January (3.1%).
November through March accounts for 45.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 6–7 am, with 12.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 25.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Cottonwood Lake happened on US-12 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Edmunds County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Cottonwood Lake fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 32.3% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Edmunds County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Edmunds County) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 22 |
| Ave | 2 |
| Sd Hwy 45 | 2 |
| 327A Ave | 1 |
| S Menlo Ave | 1 |
| Sd Hwy 253 | 1 |
Cottonwood Lake at a glance
| Population | 40 |
| Land area | 34.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57428) | $64,375 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57428) | $148,631 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Edmunds 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 | 2 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 4 | +119% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 3 | -9% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 3 | -1% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 3 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 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cottonwood Lake
How common are truck crashes in Cottonwood Lake?
Edmunds County has had 32 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 10 people and killing 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cottonwood Lake?
November has the most truck crashes in Edmunds County, 15.6% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cottonwood Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Edmunds County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Cottonwood Lake compared with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Edmunds County has 70.0 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Cottonwood Lake?
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.