Buffalo Town, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Buffalo Town: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Buffalo Town and Harding County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Harding County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 51 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Harding County compares with South Dakota
Harding County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Harding County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Harding County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 288.2 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 6.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.1 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.24 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 1.8× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.2% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 9% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.9% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.4% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.1% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 22% below the state |
| After dark | 11.9% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 48% below the state |
Compared with South Dakota, Harding County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Harding County: 0 crashes involve a garbage truck (0 since 2015), vs 1.6% across South Dakota.
Overview
Harding County has recorded 51 truck crashes since 2015, with 11 people injured and 3 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 96 days.
Buffalo Town had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Harding County numbers.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 15.7% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (0.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.1% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 13.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 26.2% 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 Buffalo happened on US-85 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Harding County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Buffalo Town fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 30.9% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Harding County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-85 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Harding County) |
|---|---|
| US-85 | 26 |
| Sd Hwy 79 | 22 |
| Cox Rd | 1 |
| Park Rd | 1 |
| Sd Hwy 20 | 1 |
Buffalo Town at a glance
| Population | 353 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 637 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57720) | $79,091 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Harding 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 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 2 | -3% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 6 | +241% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 3 | -54% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 3. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Buffalo Town
How common are truck crashes in Buffalo Town?
51 truck crashes have been reported in Harding County since 2015, with 3 deaths and 11 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Buffalo Town?
The worst month is June: 15.7% of truck crashes in Harding County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Buffalo Town?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Harding County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Buffalo Town compare with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Harding County has 288.2 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Buffalo Town?
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.