Lake Township, Berrien County, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Township, Berrien County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Township, Berrien County 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 stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Berrien County at a glance: 38.2% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 17.7% in Michigan.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,066 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Berrien County. They injured 460 people and killed 39.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Lake Township, Berrien County had 71 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Berrien County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 19.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.9%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 56.5% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
38.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Lake is I-94, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come CR-LEMON Creek Rd (1), CR-W Linco Rd (1) and US-31 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 38 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in July (21%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 5.7 deaths compared with 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Lake Township, Berrien County fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-94, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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 | 2 |
| CR-LEMON Creek Rd | 1 |
| CR-W Linco Rd | 1 |
| US-31 | 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 Township, Berrien County at a glance
| Population | 3,347 |
| Land area | 18.6 sq mi |
| Density | 180 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49106) | $72,500 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49106) | $260,806 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 113 a year in the 1990s and 172 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake Township, Berrien County
How many truck crashes happen in Lake Township, Berrien County?
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 Lake Township, Berrien County?
Since 2015, I-94 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake: 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Lake Township, Berrien County?
January has the most truck crashes in Berrien County, 19.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Lake Township, Berrien County?
38 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Berrien County since 2015, 1.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lake Township, Berrien County compared with Michigan?
Berrien County records 112.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Lake Township, Berrien 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.