Dakota Dunes, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dakota Dunes: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Dakota Dunes and Union County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Union County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 188 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Union County compares with South Dakota
Union County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Union County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Union County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 90.4 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 2.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.6 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 12% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 31% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.6% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 64% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 37.6% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 27.2% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 56.1% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.3% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Union County sits below South Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Union County: December worst month: 16.0% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Union County has recorded 188 truck crashes since 2015, with 17 people injured and 8 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 23 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Dakota Dunes since 2015; patterns below come from Union County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 16.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is October at 2.7%.
November through March accounts for 56.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (10.1%).
37.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 28.6% across South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Dakota Dunes is I-29, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-75 (2), 18th St (1) and CR-152ND St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.5%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Dakota Dunes fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-29, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 37.6% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Union County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-29 | 4 |
| US-75 | 2 |
| 18th St | 1 |
| CR-152ND St | 1 |
| I-129 | 1 |
| SR-35 | 1 |
| SR-376 | 1 |
| US-20 | 1 |
| Us- Hwy 20 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Union County) |
|---|---|
| I-29 | 139 |
| Sd Hwy 50 | 10 |
| Sd Hwy 46 | 8 |
| Ave | 6 |
| N Derby Ln | 4 |
| Sd Hwy 48 | 3 |
| River Dr | 2 |
| First St | 1 |
Dakota Dunes at a glance
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57049) | $93,134 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57049) | $427,075 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Union 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 | 11 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 10 | -4% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 13 | +28% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 18 | +36% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 11 a year in the 1990s and 18 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Dakota Dunes
How common are truck crashes in Dakota Dunes?
188 truck crashes have been reported in Union County since 2015, with 8 deaths and 17 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Dakota Dunes?
I-29 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Dakota Dunes since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Dakota Dunes?
December has the most truck crashes in Union County, 16.0% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Dakota Dunes?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Union County since 2015 (0.5% of truck crashes).
How does Dakota Dunes compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Union County has 90.4 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Dakota Dunes?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.