Carter, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carter: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carter and Tripp County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Tripp County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 34 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Tripp County compares with South Dakota
Tripp County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Tripp County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Tripp County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 50.9 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 2.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 18.8% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 35% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 12.5% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 44% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.5% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 29% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 17% below the state |
| After dark | 18.8% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Tripp County sits below South Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Tripp County: October the month with the most truck crashes: 23.5% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 34 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Tripp County. They injured 10 people and killed 1.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 125 days.
Carter had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Tripp County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (23.5% of the year) and are lowest in February (0.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.6% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 18.8% of truck crashes, compared with 28.6% in South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Carter since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-53 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.9% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Carter fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Tripp County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-53 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Tripp County) |
|---|---|
| Sd Hwy 44 | 8 |
| US-18 | 7 |
| Sd Hwy 49 | 4 |
| Ave | 2 |
| US-183 | 2 |
| SR-18 | 1 |
| Sd Hwy 53 | 1 |
| Us 18 Ef | 1 |
Carter at a glance
| Population | 35 |
| Land area | 26.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57580) | $59,547 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57580) | $133,949 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Tripp 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 | 3 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 3 | -20% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 2 | -12% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 3 | +45% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 3 to 3. 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 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carter
How many truck accidents are there in Carter?
34 truck crashes have been reported in Tripp County since 2015, with 1 deaths and 10 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Carter?
The worst month is October: 23.5% of truck crashes in Tripp County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Carter?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Tripp County since 2015 (2.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Carter compare with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Tripp County has 50.9 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Carter?
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.