Bridgewater, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bridgewater: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bridgewater and McCook County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use McCook County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 120 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How McCook County compares with South Dakota
McCook County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where McCook County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | McCook County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 168.6 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 4.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 63% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.06 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 54% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 42% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 54.2% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.9× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.6% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.2% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 63.5% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 18.7% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
McCook County sits below South Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for McCook County: March worst month: 22.5% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 120 crashes involving commercial trucks in McCook County since 2015: 8 people were injured and 4 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 38 days.
Bridgewater had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use McCook County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 22.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 3.3%.
November through March accounts for 63.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 11.7% of truck crashes.
54.2% 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 Bridgewater since 2015: US-81 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.8%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Bridgewater fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 54.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above South Dakota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 McCook County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-81 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (McCook County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 74 |
| US-81 | 16 |
| Ave | 11 |
| Sd Hwy 42 | 7 |
| Sd Hwy 38 | 4 |
| Sd Hwy 262 | 3 |
Bridgewater at a glance
| Population | 505 |
| Land area | 1.1 sq mi |
| Density | 449 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57319) | $69,792 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57319) | $170,553 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in McCook 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 | 4 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 7 | +76% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 9 | +38% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 11 | +17% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 11. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bridgewater
How many truck crashes happen in Bridgewater?
120 truck crashes have been reported in McCook County since 2015, with 4 deaths and 8 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Bridgewater?
Truck crashes in McCook County peak in March, with 22.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Bridgewater?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in McCook County since 2015 (0.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Bridgewater compared with South Dakota?
McCook County records 168.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Bridgewater?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.