Rice Lake, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rice Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rice Lake and Barron County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Barron County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 204 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Barron County compares with Wisconsin
Barron County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Barron County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Barron County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.8 | 42.6 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 13% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.4% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.3% | 26.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.9% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.6% | 44.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.3% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Barron County sits below Wisconsin on injuries per crash and after dark. It runs above Wisconsin on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Barron County: 8.4 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Wisconsin: 3.4).
Overview
Police reported 204 crashes involving commercial trucks in Barron County since 2015: 81 people were injured and 16 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 19 days.
Only 27 truck crashes were reported in Rice Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Barron County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (12.7% of the year) and are lowest in July (4.9%).
November through March accounts for 45.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.9% in Wisconsin.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 11.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 20.4% of truck crashes, compared with 13.4% in Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
US-8 leads within 10 miles of Rice Lake with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-48 (1) and US-53 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 6 of the truck crashes here, or 2.9%, compared with 2.7% in Wisconsin.
Route planning tips for Rice Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use US-8, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- With 20.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Wisconsin), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2023, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Barron County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-8 | 6 |
| SR-48 | 1 |
| US-53 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Barron County) |
|---|---|
| Ush 008 | 37 |
| Ush 053 | 37 |
| Ush 063 | 9 |
| Sth 048 | 7 |
| Cth P | 7 |
| Cth Ss | 6 |
| 23Rd St | 5 |
| Cth I | 5 |
Rice Lake at a glance
| Population | 8,971 |
| Land area | 9.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,000 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54868) | $64,318 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54868) | $228,072 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Barron 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 | 19 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | -17% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 21 | +38% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 17 | -19% | 1.2 |
In the 1990s about 19 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 17. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rice Lake
How common are truck crashes in Rice Lake?
Since 2015, 204 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Barron County (81 injured, 16 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Rice Lake?
US-8 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Rice Lake since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Rice Lake?
Truck crashes in Barron County peak in October, with 12.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Rice Lake?
6 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Barron County since 2015, 2.9% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Rice Lake compared with Wisconsin?
The yearly rate is 40.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Barron County, vs 42.6 for Wisconsin.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Rice Lake?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.