Buchanan, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Buchanan: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Buchanan 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. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Berrien County at a glance: 38.2% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 2,066 crashes involving commercial trucks in Berrien County since 2015: 460 people were injured and 39 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Only 13 truck crashes were reported in Buchanan since 2015; patterns below come from Berrien County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 19.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.9%.
November through March accounts for 56.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out 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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Buchanan is US-12, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-80 (4), SR-51 (2) and CR-LEMON Creek Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 38 of the truck crashes here, or 1.8%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Their busiest month is July, with 21% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 5.7, vs 1.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Buchanan fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-12 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.
- 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 Berrien County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 5 |
| I-80 | 4 |
| SR-51 | 2 |
| CR-LEMON Creek Rd | 1 |
| CR-RANGELINE Rd | 1 |
| CR-RED Bud Trl | 1 |
| Mu-Auten Rd | 1 |
| SR-933N | 1 |
| US-20 | 1 |
| US-20W | 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 |
Buchanan at a glance
| Population | 4,169 |
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,653 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49107) | $66,289 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49107) | $188,944 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 113 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 172. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.5 a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Buchanan
How many truck crashes happen in Buchanan?
Berrien County has had 2,066 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 460 people and killing 39.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Buchanan?
US-12 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Buchanan since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Buchanan?
Truck crashes in Berrien County peak in January, with 19.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Buchanan?
38 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Berrien County since 2015, 1.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Buchanan compare with Michigan?
Berrien County records 112.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Buchanan?
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.