Garfield Township, Clare County, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Garfield Township, Clare County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Garfield Township, Clare County and Clare County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Clare County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 165 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Clare County compares with Michigan
Clare County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Clare County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Clare County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 44.9 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 14% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 10% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 32.3% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.3% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.2% | 21.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 52.3% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 19.4% | 20.7% | 24.8% | same |
Clare County has lower values than Michigan for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar).
What stands out in Clare County: 32.3% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 165 crashes involving commercial trucks in Clare County since 2015: 49 people were injured and 6 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 26 days in fully reported years.
Garfield Township, Clare County had 19 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Clare County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 12.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 4.2%.
November through March accounts for 52.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 12.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 32.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Garfield since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-3 Mile Rd (1), SR-115 (1), Stevenson Lake Rd (1) and US-10 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
7 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.2% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Route planning tips for Garfield Township, Clare County fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 32.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Michigan; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Clare County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-3 Mile Rd | 1 |
| SR-115 | 1 |
| Stevenson Lake Rd | 1 |
| US-10 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Clare County) |
|---|---|
| Cadillac | 19 |
| US-127 | 14 |
| Ludington | 11 |
| Clare | 10 |
| Gladwin | 7 |
| N Us 127 | 7 |
| Surrey | 7 |
| S Us 127 | 6 |
Garfield Township, Clare County at a glance
| Population | 1,847 |
| Land area | 33.4 sq mi |
| Density | 55 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48632) | $57,036 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48632) | $140,724 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Clare 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 | 10 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 11 | +7% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 8 | -24% | 0.0 |
| 2020s | 16 | +94% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 10 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 16. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Garfield Township, Clare County
How common are truck crashes in Garfield Township, Clare County?
Clare County has had 165 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 49 people and killing 6.
When do most truck crashes happen in Garfield Township, Clare County?
The worst month is January: 12.7% of truck crashes in Clare County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Garfield Township, Clare County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 7 reported crashes in Clare County since 2015 (4.2% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Garfield Township, Clare County compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Clare County has 44.9 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Garfield Township, Clare County?
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.