Wachter, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wachter: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wachter and McPherson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use McPherson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 30 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How McPherson County compares with South Dakota
McPherson County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where McPherson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | McPherson County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 98.5 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 2.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 38% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.0% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 58% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.0% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.0% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 77% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.0% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 18% below the state |
| After dark | 20.0% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 12% below the state |
Compared with South Dakota, McPherson County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr.
What stands out in McPherson County: October worst month: 20.0% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 30 crashes involving commercial trucks in McPherson County since 2015: 2 people were injured and 1 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 161 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Wachter since 2015, this page uses McPherson County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 20.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 0.0%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.0% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 10.0% of truck crashes.
12.0% 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 Wachter since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in McPherson County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Wachter fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in McPherson County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 McPherson 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 (McPherson County) |
|---|---|
| Sd Hwy 10 | 8 |
| Ave | 6 |
| Sd Hwy 247 | 6 |
| Sd Hwy 45 | 6 |
| County 8 | 1 |
Wachter at a glance
| Population | 32 |
| Land area | 34.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57441) | $108,009 |
Historical data: truck crashes in McPherson 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 | 1 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 1 | -25% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 2 | +80% | 0.0 |
| 2020s | 2 | +30% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 1 to 2. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wachter
How many truck crashes happen in Wachter?
Since 2015, 30 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in McPherson County (2 injured, 1 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Wachter?
The worst month is October: 20.0% of truck crashes in McPherson County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Wachter?
Since 2015, McPherson County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Wachter compare with South Dakota?
McPherson County records 98.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Wachter?
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.