Lake Township, Benzie County, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Township, Benzie County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Township, Benzie County and Benzie County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Benzie County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 65 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Benzie County compares with Michigan
Benzie County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Benzie County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Benzie County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.0 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 45% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.8 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 3.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 33% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 48% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 37.3% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.5% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 30.5% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.8% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 11.9% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 43% below the state |
Compared with Michigan, Benzie County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
Benzie County at a glance: 6.8 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.1 in Michigan.
Overview
Since 2015, 65 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Benzie County. They injured 15 people and killed 4.
That averages about one truck crash every 68 days in fully reported years.
Lake Township, Benzie County had 4 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Benzie County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (18.5% of the year) and are lowest in March (1.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 50.8% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 21.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 37.3% 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 Lake happened on CR-HOMESTEAD Rd (1) and US-31 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 1.5%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Route planning tips for Lake Township, Benzie County fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 30.5% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; adjust start times where you can.
- 37.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Michigan; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Benzie County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-HOMESTEAD Rd | 1 |
| US-31 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Benzie County) |
|---|---|
| Honor | 15 |
| Reynolds | 6 |
| Lake Ann | 4 |
| US-31 | 3 |
| Pioneer | 3 |
| Cadillac | 2 |
| Cinder | 2 |
| Crystal | 2 |
Lake Township, Benzie County at a glance
| Population | 711 |
| Land area | 23.4 sq mi |
| Density | 30 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49640) | $83,214 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49640) | $314,750 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Benzie 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 | 3 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 4 | +43% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 4 | -15% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 6 | +71% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 3 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 6. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake Township, Benzie County
How many truck crashes happen in Lake Township, Benzie County?
Benzie County has had 65 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 15 people and killing 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Lake Township, Benzie County?
The worst month is January: 18.5% of truck crashes in Benzie County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lake Township, Benzie County?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Benzie County since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Lake Township, Benzie County compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Benzie County has 29.0 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lake Township, Benzie County?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.