Chief Lake, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chief Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chief Lake and Sawyer County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sawyer County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 59 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Sawyer County compares with Wisconsin
Sawyer County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sawyer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sawyer County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 26.1 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 39% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 32% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.8% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.8% | 26.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.4% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.9% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 13% below the state |
| After dark | 7.4% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 65% below the state |
Compared with Wisconsin, Sawyer County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Wisconsin on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Sawyer County at a glance: 27.8% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Wisconsin: 13.4%).
Overview
Since 2015, 59 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sawyer County. They injured 25 people and killed 4.
That averages about one truck crash every 74 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Chief Lake since 2015, this page uses Sawyer County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 15.3% of the yearly total, while October has the fewest (3.4%).
November through March accounts for 38.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.9% in Wisconsin.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 18.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 27.8% of truck crashes, compared with 13.4% in Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Chief Lake.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 1.7%, compared with 2.7% in Wisconsin.
Route planning tips for Chief Lake fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sawyer County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 27.8% of truck crashes here, more than Wisconsin; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Sawyer 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 (Sawyer County) |
|---|---|
| Sth 070 | 8 |
| Ush 063 | 7 |
| Sth 027 | 5 |
| Cth B | 4 |
| Sth 077 | 4 |
| Cth K | 3 |
| Cth Bb | 2 |
| Cth F | 2 |
Chief Lake at a glance
| Land area | 21.3 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54843) | $60,619 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54843) | $244,661 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sawyer 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 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 5 | -15% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 4 | -29% | 0.0 |
| 2020s | 6 | +62% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 6 to 6. 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 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chief Lake
How common are truck crashes in Chief Lake?
Since 2015, 59 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sawyer County (25 injured, 4 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Chief Lake?
Truck crashes in Sawyer County peak in February, with 15.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Chief Lake?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Sawyer County since 2015, 1.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Chief Lake compared with Wisconsin?
Sawyer County records 26.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.6 across Wisconsin.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Chief Lake?
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.