Niles, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Niles: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Niles 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 has lower values than Michigan for 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.
The headline for Berrien County: 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.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
With 115 truck crashes reported in Niles 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%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 56.5% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out 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
Within this area, I-80 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). Next come US-12 (5), SR-51 (2) and SR-60 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 38 of the truck crashes here, or 1.8%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (21% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 5.7, vs 1.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Niles fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Berrien County.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 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
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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-80 | 7 |
| US-12 | 5 |
| SR-51 | 2 |
| SR-60 | 2 |
| CR-RANGELINE Rd | 1 |
| CR-RED Bud Trl | 1 |
| CR-REDFIELD St | 1 |
| Mu-Auten Rd | 1 |
| SR-23W | 1 |
| SR-933N | 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 |
Niles at a glance
| Population | 11,738 |
| Land area | 5.8 sq mi |
| Density | 2,026 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49120) | $65,148 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49120) | $180,414 |
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 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 Niles
How common are truck crashes in Niles?
Since 2015, 2,066 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Berrien County (460 injured, 39 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Niles?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Niles: 7.
When do most truck crashes happen in Niles?
January has the most truck crashes in Berrien County, 19.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Niles?
Since 2015, Berrien County has reported 38 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.8% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Niles compare 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 Niles?
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.