Scenic, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Scenic: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Scenic and Pennington County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pennington County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
10 of 399 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Pennington County compares with South Dakota
Pennington County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pennington County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pennington County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.1 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 31% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 42% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.8% | 28.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.0% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.0% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.2% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Pennington County has lower values than South Dakota for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
Pennington County at a glance: 1 in 41 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 2.4%, vs 1.6% in South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 399 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Pennington County. They injured 38 people and killed 11.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Scenic since 2015, this page uses Pennington County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 5.3%.
November through March accounts for 48.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 28.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Scenic.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 10 crashes, 2.5% of the total, against 1.6% across South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Scenic fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Pennington 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 (Pennington County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 194 |
| US-16 | 39 |
| Sd Hwy 44 | 26 |
| Sd Hwy 79 | 16 |
| Ave | 7 |
| Sd Hwy 445 | 7 |
| Us Hwy 16 B | 5 |
| Cambell St | 4 |
Scenic at a glance
| Population | 55 |
| Land area | 134.1 sq mi |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57780) | $40,192 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pennington 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 | 23 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 24 | +2% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 25 | +5% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 42 | +67% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 23 to 42. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Scenic
How many truck crashes happen in Scenic?
Pennington County has had 399 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 38 people and killing 11.
When do most truck crashes happen in Scenic?
The worst month is January: 11.8% of truck crashes in Pennington County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Scenic?
Garbage trucks were involved in 10 reported crashes in Pennington County since 2015 (2.5% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Scenic compare with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Pennington County has 29.1 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Scenic?
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.