Sault Ste. Marie, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sault Ste. Marie: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sault Ste. Marie and Chippewa County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Chippewa County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 123 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Chippewa County compares with Michigan
Chippewa County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Chippewa County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Chippewa County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 28.3 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 46% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.5 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.4% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 53.1% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 3.0× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 17.7% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 31% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 29.2% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 66.4% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.5× the state |
| After dark | 25.7% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Chippewa County has lower values than Michigan for crashes per 100k residents / yr and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Chippewa County: 53.1% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Overview
Police reported 123 crashes involving commercial trucks in Chippewa County since 2015: 43 people were injured and 4 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 36 days.
With 21 truck crashes reported in Sault Ste. Marie since 2015, this page uses Chippewa County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 15.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 2.4%.
November through March accounts for 66.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 53.1% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Sault Ste. Marie since 2015: 3 Mile Rd (1), CR-N West Shore Dr (1), I-75 (1) and SR-129 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 4.1% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Route planning tips for Sault Ste. Marie fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 53.1% 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
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 Chippewa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| 3 Mile Rd | 1 |
| CR-N West Shore Dr | 1 |
| I-75 | 1 |
| SR-129 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Chippewa County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 13 |
| Mackinac | 10 |
| Mile | 5 |
| Easterday | 4 |
| Ashmun | 3 |
| Lakeshore | 2 |
| Meridian | 2 |
| Ontario | 2 |
Sault Ste. Marie at a glance
| Population | 13,288 |
| Land area | 14.8 sq mi |
| Density | 900 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49783) | $60,658 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49783) | $158,997 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Chippewa 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 | 8 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 9 | +7% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 7 | -21% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 11 | +62% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 11. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sault Ste. Marie
How many truck accidents are there in Sault Ste. Marie?
Since 2015, 123 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Chippewa County (43 injured, 4 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Sault Ste. Marie?
Truck crashes in Chippewa County peak in January, with 15.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Sault Ste. Marie?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Chippewa County since 2015, 4.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Sault Ste. Marie compared with Michigan?
Chippewa County records 28.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Sault Ste. Marie?
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.