Lead, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lead: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lead and Lawrence County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lawrence County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 124 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lawrence County compares with South Dakota
Lawrence County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lawrence County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lawrence County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.2 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 11% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.1 | 5.2 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 33.1% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 16.1% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 28% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 31.4% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.8× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.0% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.0% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Lawrence County has lower values than South Dakota for crashes per 100k residents / yr and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Lawrence County at a glance: 31.4% in rain, sleet or snow, against 17.5% across South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 124 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lawrence County. They injured 19 people and killed 6.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 34 days.
With 2 truck crashes reported in Lead since 2015, this page uses Lawrence County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 4.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 50.0% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (12.1%).
33.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 28.6% across South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lead since 2015 were spread across roads: US-385 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 2.4%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Lead fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lawrence County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 33.1% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Lawrence County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-385 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lawrence County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 51 |
| US-85 | 21 |
| Sd Hwy 34 | 20 |
| Us Hwy 14 A | 5 |
| US-14A | 5 |
| 1St Ave | 2 |
| Whitewood Valley Rd | 2 |
| 12Th St | 1 |
Lead at a glance
| Population | 3,038 |
| Land area | 2.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,476 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57754) | $66,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57754) | $220,830 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lawrence 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 | 8 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 8 | +12% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 10 | +21% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 12 | +12% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 8 to 12. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lead
How common are truck crashes in Lead?
124 truck crashes have been reported in Lawrence County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 19 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Lead?
The worst month is January: 11.3% of truck crashes in Lawrence County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lead?
Since 2015, Lawrence County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lead compared with South Dakota?
Lawrence County records 37.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Lead?
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.