Michiana, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Michiana: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Michiana 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.
Berrien County at a glance: 38.2% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Overview
Berrien County has recorded 2,066 truck crashes since 2015, with 460 people injured and 39 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Michiana had 0 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
January has the most truck crashes, 19.6% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (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.
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 Michiana is US-20, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-94 (5), I-80 (3) and CR-400N (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
38 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.8% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in July (21%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 5.7, vs 1.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Michiana fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Berrien County.
- Look at alternatives to US-20 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
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) |
|---|---|
| US-20 | 9 |
| I-94 | 5 |
| I-80 | 3 |
| CR-400N | 1 |
| SR-39 | 1 |
| US-12 | 1 |
| US-35 | 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 |
Michiana at a glance
| Population | 215 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 589 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49117) | $75,114 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49117) | $488,109 |
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. 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 Michiana
How common are truck crashes in Michiana?
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 Michiana?
NHTSA data shows US-20 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Michiana since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Michiana?
Truck crashes in Berrien County peak in January, with 19.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Michiana?
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 Michiana compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Berrien County has 112.9 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Michiana?
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.