Carlton, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carlton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carlton and Barry County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Barry County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 244 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Barry County compares with Michigan
Barry County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Barry County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Barry County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.5 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 40% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.2% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.9% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.1% | 21.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 16.2% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 22% below the state |
Barry County sits below Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and winter months (nov–mar). It runs above Michigan on on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Barry County: October worst month: 11.5% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 244 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Barry County. They injured 75 people and killed 3.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 18 days.
Only 11 truck crashes were reported in Carlton since 2015; patterns below come from Barry County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (11.5% of the year) and are lowest in July (4.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.0% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 9.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 21.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Carlton happened on Jackson Rd (1) and SR-50 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
11 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.5% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Route planning tips for Carlton fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 27.9% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Michigan.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 21.2% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; schedule winter 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Barry County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Jackson Rd | 1 |
| SR-50 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Barry County) |
|---|---|
| Patterson | 15 |
| Broadway | 10 |
| State | 10 |
| Norris | 7 |
| Green | 5 |
| Woodlawn | 3 |
| Saddlebag Lake | 3 |
| Carlton Center | 3 |
Carlton at a glance
| Population | 2,438 |
| Land area | 35.1 sq mi |
| Density | 69 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49325) | $90,472 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49325) | $319,022 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Barry 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 | 12 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 16 | +28% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 12 | -24% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 23 | +89% | 0.2 |
In the 1990s about 12 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 23. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carlton
How common are truck crashes in Carlton?
Barry County has had 244 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 75 people and killing 3.
When do most truck crashes happen in Carlton?
October has the most truck crashes in Barry County, 11.5% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Carlton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Barry County since 2015 (4.5% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Carlton compare with Michigan?
The yearly rate is 31.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Barry County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Carlton?
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.