Paw Paw Lake, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Paw Paw Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Paw Paw Lake 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.
What stands out in Berrien County: 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.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Paw Paw Lake 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%).
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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Paw Paw Lake is I-94, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-196 (2), CR-687 64Th St (1) and CR-COUNTY Line Rd (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 Paw Paw Lake fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-94; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in July; review collection routes for that month.
- With 38.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Michigan), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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-94 | 4 |
| I-196 | 2 |
| CR-687 64Th St | 1 |
| CR-COUNTY Line Rd | 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 |
Paw Paw Lake at a glance
| Land area | 5.1 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49038) | $62,636 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49038) | $206,502 |
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. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Paw Paw Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Paw Paw Lake?
Berrien County has had 2,066 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 460 people and killing 39.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Paw Paw Lake?
NHTSA data shows I-94 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Paw Paw Lake since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Paw Paw Lake?
January has the most truck crashes in Berrien County, 19.6% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Paw Paw Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 38 reported crashes in Berrien County since 2015 (1.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Paw Paw Lake compared 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 Paw Paw Lake?
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.