Ontwa, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ontwa: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ontwa and Cass County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cass County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
19 of 289 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cass County compares with Michigan
Cass County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cass County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cass County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 46.2 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 7.2% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 2.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.4% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.1% | 21.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.9% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.0% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 22% below the state |
Cass County sits below Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Cass County at a glance: 1 in 14 crashes involve a garbage truck (19 since 2015), vs 3.2% across Michigan.
Overview
Cass County has recorded 289 truck crashes since 2015, with 91 people injured and 9 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 15 days in fully reported years.
Only 42 truck crashes were reported in Ontwa since 2015; patterns below come from Cass County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.8% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (5.2%).
November through March accounts for 46.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 10.0% of truck crashes.
19.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads within 10 miles of Ontwa with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come CR-REDFIELD St (2), SR-60 (2) and 3rd St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 19 crashes, 6.6% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Route planning tips for Ontwa fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cass County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 19.5% 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
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cass County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 6 |
| CR-REDFIELD St | 2 |
| SR-60 | 2 |
| 3rd St | 1 |
| CR-1 | 1 |
| CR-7 | 1 |
| CR-CASSOPOLIS Rd | 1 |
| CR-OLD M205 | 1 |
| CR-ROBINSON Rd | 1 |
| Day Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cass County) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 54 |
| Redfield | 11 |
| Decatur | 7 |
| Barron Lake | 6 |
| Marcellus | 6 |
| Main | 5 |
| Calvin Center | 4 |
| Front | 4 |
Ontwa at a glance
| Population | 6,835 |
| Land area | 19.4 sq mi |
| Density | 352 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49112) | $61,785 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49112) | $240,150 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cass 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 | 18 | — | 2.0 |
| 2000s | 20 | +12% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 20 | -0% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 22 | +9% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 18 to 22. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ontwa
How common are truck crashes in Ontwa?
289 truck crashes have been reported in Cass County since 2015, with 9 deaths and 91 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Ontwa?
NHTSA data shows I-80 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ontwa since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Ontwa?
The worst month is January: 11.8% of truck crashes in Cass County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ontwa?
Since 2015, Cass County has reported 19 garbage-truck crashes, or 6.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Ontwa compared with Michigan?
The yearly rate is 46.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cass County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Ontwa?
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.