Spirit Lake, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Spirit Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Spirit Lake and Kingsbury County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Kingsbury County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 35 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Kingsbury County compares with South Dakota
Kingsbury County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kingsbury County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kingsbury County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 58.8 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.8 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.24 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 1.8× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.7% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 49% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 38.2% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 1.7× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.9% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 66% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 22% below the state |
| After dark | 20.6% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 10% below the state |
Kingsbury County has lower values than South Dakota for on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and winter months (nov–mar). It runs above South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Kingsbury County at a glance: December worst month: 17.1% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 35 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Kingsbury County. They injured 8 people and killed 3.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 118 days.
Spirit Lake had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Kingsbury County numbers.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 17.1% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (0.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.2% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 17.1% of truck crashes.
14.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 28.6% across South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Spirit Lake happened on CR-200 St (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 1 crash, 2.9% of the total, against 1.6% across South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Spirit Lake fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 38.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above South Dakota; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Kingsbury County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-200 St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kingsbury County) |
|---|---|
| US-14 | 14 |
| US-81 | 9 |
| Sd Hwy 25 | 6 |
| Ave | 2 |
Spirit Lake at a glance
| Population | 158 |
| Land area | 60.5 sq mi |
| Density | 3 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57231) | $78,646 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57231) | $194,320 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kingsbury 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 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 3 | -7% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 3 | +7% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 4 | +17% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 4 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Spirit Lake
How common are truck crashes in Spirit Lake?
35 truck crashes have been reported in Kingsbury County since 2015, with 3 deaths and 8 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Spirit Lake?
December has the most truck crashes in Kingsbury County, 17.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Spirit Lake?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Kingsbury County since 2015, 2.9% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Spirit Lake compare with South Dakota?
The yearly rate is 58.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Kingsbury County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Spirit 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.