Lake Michigan Beach, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Michigan Beach: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Michigan Beach 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.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Lake Michigan Beach 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%.
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
Within this area, I-94 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). It is followed by I-196 (2), CR-COUNTY Line Rd (1) and Nickerson Ave (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 Lake Michigan Beach fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-94 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at July schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 | 5 |
| I-196 | 2 |
| CR-COUNTY Line Rd | 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 |
Lake Michigan Beach at a glance
| Land area | 3.8 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49084) | $54,375 |
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. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake Michigan Beach
How common are truck crashes in Lake Michigan Beach?
Since 2015, 2,066 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Berrien County (460 injured, 39 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Lake Michigan Beach?
NHTSA data shows I-94 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Michigan Beach since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Lake Michigan Beach?
Truck crashes in Berrien County peak in January, with 19.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lake Michigan Beach?
38 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Berrien County since 2015, 1.8% of all truck crashes.
How does Lake Michigan Beach compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 112.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Berrien County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Lake Michigan Beach?
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.