Watson, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Watson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Watson and Allegan County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Allegan County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
21 of 1,398 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Allegan County compares with Michigan
Allegan County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Allegan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Allegan County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 93.9 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.25 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 53% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 32.6% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 31.3% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 54.0% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 23.2% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Compared with Michigan, Allegan County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Allegan County: January 20.3% of truck crashes happen in January, more than any other month.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,398 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Allegan County. They injured 344 people and killed 24.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
Only 48 truck crashes were reported in Watson since 2015; patterns below come from Allegan County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (20.3% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 54.0% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 8.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 32.6% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Watson since 2015: CR-10TH St (1), CR-134TH Ave (1), SR-40 (1) and SR-89 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 21 crashes, 1.5% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (14%).
Route planning tips for Watson fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 32.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Michigan; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Allegan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-10TH St | 1 |
| CR-134TH Ave | 1 |
| SR-40 | 1 |
| SR-89 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Allegan County) |
|---|---|
| I-196 | 174 |
| US-131 | 120 |
| N Us 131 | 84 |
| S Us 131 | 71 |
| 142Nd | 38 |
| Lincoln | 26 |
| Allegan | 22 |
| 48Th | 21 |
Watson at a glance
| Population | 2,244 |
| Land area | 35.3 sq mi |
| Density | 64 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49070) | $68,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49070) | $206,335 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Allegan 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 | 56 | — | 2.5 |
| 2000s | 59 | +6% | 2.7 |
| 2010s | 80 | +35% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 122 | +52% | 2.2 |
In the 1990s about 56 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 122. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Watson
How many truck crashes happen in Watson?
1,398 truck crashes have been reported in Allegan County since 2015, with 24 deaths and 344 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Watson?
Truck crashes in Allegan County peak in January, with 20.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Watson?
Since 2015, Allegan County has reported 21 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Watson compared with Michigan?
Allegan County records 93.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Watson?
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.