Chatham, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chatham: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chatham and Alger County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Alger County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 61 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Alger County compares with Michigan
Alger County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Alger County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Alger County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 58.5 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.8 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 14% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.18 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 40% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 50.0% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 2.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 14.3% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 44% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.2% | 21.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 60.7% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 3.6% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 83% below the state |
Alger County sits below Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Alger County: 50.0% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 61 crashes involving commercial trucks in Alger County since 2015: 13 people were injured and 1 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 72 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Chatham since 2015; patterns below come from Alger County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 19.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 0.0%.
November through March accounts for 60.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 19.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 50.0% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Chatham.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 3.3%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Route planning tips for Chatham fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 50.0% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Michigan), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Alger 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 (Alger County) |
|---|---|
| US-41 | 7 |
| Munising | 6 |
| County Road 273 | 2 |
| Arbutus | 1 |
| County Rd Et | 1 |
| Deerton Onota | 1 |
| Ff 13 | 1 |
| Ff 2268 | 1 |
Chatham at a glance
| Population | 215 |
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Density | 88 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49825) | $77,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49825) | $214,134 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Alger 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 | 5 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 5 | -8% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 3 | -26% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 5 | +52% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 5. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chatham
How many truck crashes happen in Chatham?
61 truck crashes have been reported in Alger County since 2015, with 1 deaths and 13 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Chatham?
January has the most truck crashes in Alger County, 19.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Chatham?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Alger County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Chatham compared with Michigan?
The yearly rate is 58.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Alger County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Chatham?
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.