Rutland, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rutland: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rutland 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
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 runs above South Dakota on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Lake County: July the month with the most truck crashes: 25.7% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 35 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lake County. They injured 7 people and killed 1.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 125 days.
Rutland had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lake County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (25.7% of the year) and are lowest in February (2.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 21.9% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for 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
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Rutland since 2015: SR-34 (1). No single road stands out.
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 Rutland 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
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 Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Rutland at a glance
| Population | 191 |
| Land area | 35.9 sq mi |
| Density | 5 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57057) | $71,500 |
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 Rutland
How many truck crashes happen in Rutland?
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 Rutland?
Truck crashes in Lake County peak in July, with 25.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Rutland?
Since 2015, Lake County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 2.9% of its truck crashes.
How does Rutland compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 26.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lake County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Rutland?
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.