Benton Heights, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Benton Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Benton Heights and Berrien County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Berrien County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Berrien County compares with Michigan
Berrien County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Berrien County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Berrien County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 112.9 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 2.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.8 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 14% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.22 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 43% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 38.2% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 2.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 38.4% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.8× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 56.5% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 28.1% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Compared with Michigan, Berrien 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.
What stands out in Berrien County: 38.2% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 17.7% in Michigan.
Overview
Berrien County has recorded 2,066 truck crashes since 2015, with 460 people injured and 39 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Benton Heights since 2015, this page uses Berrien County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 19.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 56.5% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 38.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-94 leads within 10 miles of Benton Heights with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-196 (1) and Nickerson Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 38 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (21% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 5.7 deaths compared with 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Benton Heights fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-94 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: July is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Berrien County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 38.2% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Berrien County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 4 |
| I-196 | 1 |
| Nickerson Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Berrien County) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 631 |
| Pulaski | 56 |
| Napier | 49 |
| I-196 | 36 |
| N Us 31 | 33 |
| Red Arrow | 32 |
| US-31 | 28 |
| US-12 | 28 |
Benton Heights at a glance
| Land area | 3.9 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49022) | $39,499 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49022) | $150,156 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Berrien 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 | 113 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 119 | +5% | 3.9 |
| 2010s | 132 | +11% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 172 | +30% | 2.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 113 to 172. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Benton Heights
How many truck accidents are there in Benton Heights?
2,066 truck crashes have been reported in Berrien County since 2015, with 39 deaths and 460 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Benton Heights?
Since 2015, I-94 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Benton Heights: 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Benton Heights?
The worst month is January: 19.6% of truck crashes in Berrien County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Benton Heights?
Garbage trucks were involved in 38 reported crashes in Berrien County since 2015 (1.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Benton Heights compare with Michigan?
Berrien County records 112.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Benton Heights?
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.