Sturgis, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sturgis: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sturgis and Meade County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Meade County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 140 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Meade County compares with South Dakota
Meade County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Meade County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Meade County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 38.5 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 8% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.3 | 5.2 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 38% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 53% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.9% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 9% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.7% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 22% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 51.1% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.2% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Meade County has lower values than South Dakota for crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above South Dakota on morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark.
Meade County at a glance: December worst month: 15.7% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 140 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Meade County. They injured 14 people and killed 7.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 31 days.
Sturgis had 15 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Meade County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (15.7% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.3%).
November through March accounts for 51.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (10.0%).
25.9% 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 Sturgis since 2015 were spread across roads: I-90 (2), SR-79 (2), SR-34 (1) and US-14A (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Sturgis fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Meade County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 25.2% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Meade County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 2 |
| SR-79 | 2 |
| SR-34 | 1 |
| US-14A | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Meade County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 77 |
| Sd Hwy 34 | 14 |
| Sd Hwy 79 | 8 |
| US-212 | 5 |
| Sd Hwy 73 | 5 |
| New Underwood Rd | 3 |
| Avalanche Rd | 2 |
| Elk Creek Rd | 2 |
Sturgis at a glance
| Population | 7,014 |
| Land area | 6.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,070 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Meade 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 | 6 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 10 | +58% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 10 | -2% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 14 | +46% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 14 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sturgis
How many truck accidents are there in Sturgis?
Meade County has had 140 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 14 people and killing 7.
When do most truck crashes happen in Sturgis?
The worst month is December: 15.7% of truck crashes in Meade County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Sturgis?
Since 2015, Meade County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Sturgis compared with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Meade County has 38.5 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Sturgis?
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.