Chester, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chester: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chester and Lake County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lake 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
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
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. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Lake County: July worst month: 25.7% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 35 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lake County. They injured 7 people and killed 1.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 125 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Chester since 2015, this page uses Lake County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 25.7% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (2.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 21.9% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out 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
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Chester since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.9% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Chester fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
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 |
Chester at a glance
| Population | 690 |
| Land area | 0.8 sq mi |
| Density | 846 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57016) | $95,815 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57016) | $242,072 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 2 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chester
How common are truck crashes in Chester?
Lake County has had 35 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 7 people and killing 1.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Chester?
Truck crashes in Lake County peak in July, with 25.7% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Chester?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Lake County since 2015 (2.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Chester compare with South Dakota?
Lake County records 26.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Chester?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.