Lake County, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
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 Lake County compares with South Dakota
Lake County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lake County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lake County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 26.4 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 37% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.22 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 1.7× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.6% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 45% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.1% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.2% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 64% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 21.9% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 55% below the state |
| After dark | 3.1% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 86% below the state |
Compared with South Dakota, Lake County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Lake County: July worst month: 25.7% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 35 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lake County since 2015: 7 people were injured and 1 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 125 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (25.7% of the year) and are lowest in February (2.9%).
November through March accounts for 21.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 20.0% of truck crashes.
15.6% 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 in Lake County happened on SR-34 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 2.9%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Lake County fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.1% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Lake County) |
|---|---|
| SR-34 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lake County) |
|---|---|
| Sd Hwy 34 | 9 |
| Ave | 7 |
| US-81 | 5 |
| Sd Hwy 19 | 3 |
| SR-34 | 1 |
| Se 4Th St | 1 |
Lake County at a glance
| Population | 11,006 |
| Land area | 562.9 sq mi |
| Density | 20 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $80,391 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lake 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 | +14% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 3 | +45% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 2 | -20% | 0.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 2. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Lake County
ZIP codes in Lake County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Lake County
How common are truck crashes in Lake County?
Since 2015, 35 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lake County (7 injured, 1 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Lake County?
July has the most truck crashes in Lake County, 25.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lake County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Lake County since 2015 (2.9% of truck crashes).
How does Lake County compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
Lake County records 26.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lake County?
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.