New Buffalo, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in New Buffalo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in New Buffalo 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 |
Berrien County sits below Michigan 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
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.
Only 170 truck crashes were reported in New Buffalo since 2015; patterns below come from Berrien County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (19.6% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 56.5% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (7.9%).
Road surface: 38.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
US-20 leads within 10 miles of New Buffalo with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-80 (4), I-94 (4) and SR-39 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 38 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Their busiest month is July, with 21% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 5.7 deaths compared with 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for New Buffalo fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Berrien County.
- Where you can, review stops along US-20; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 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
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 | 8 |
| I-80 | 4 |
| I-94 | 4 |
| 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 |
New Buffalo at a glance
| Population | 1,695 |
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Density | 687 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 |
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 New Buffalo
How many truck crashes happen in New Buffalo?
Berrien County has had 2,066 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 460 people and killing 39.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in New Buffalo?
US-20 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of New Buffalo since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in New Buffalo?
The worst month is January: 19.6% of truck crashes in Berrien County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in New Buffalo?
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 New Buffalo compared 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 New Buffalo?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.