Carmel, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carmel: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carmel and Eaton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Eaton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
12 of 811 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Eaton County compares with Michigan
Eaton County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Eaton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Eaton County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 63.6 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.0% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 68% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.2% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.9% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.2% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 51.0% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.3% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Eaton County sits below Michigan on garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Eaton County: 1 in 96 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.0%, vs 3.2% in Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 811 crashes involving commercial trucks in Eaton County since 2015: 262 people were injured and 18 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
Carmel had 16 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Eaton County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 12.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 5.8%.
November through March accounts for 51.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 26.2% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Carmel since 2015 were spread across roads: I-69 (2), SR-50 (2), CR-PACKARD Hwy (1), Cochran Rd (1) and SR-79 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 12 crashes, 1.5% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Route planning tips for Carmel fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 26.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Michigan), plan winter equipment 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 Eaton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-69 | 2 |
| SR-50 | 2 |
| CR-PACKARD Hwy | 1 |
| Cochran Rd | 1 |
| SR-79 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Eaton County) |
|---|---|
| I-69 | 121 |
| Lansing | 49 |
| I-96 | 48 |
| Creyts | 43 |
| Clinton | 36 |
| Saginaw | 32 |
| Canal | 20 |
| Michigan | 18 |
Carmel at a glance
| Population | 2,850 |
| Land area | 34.0 sq mi |
| Density | 84 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48813) | $80,429 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48813) | $188,785 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Eaton 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 | 38 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 45 | +18% | 2.5 |
| 2010s | 50 | +10% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 73 | +47% | 2.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 38 to 73. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carmel
How many truck accidents are there in Carmel?
Eaton County has had 811 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 262 people and killing 18.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Carmel?
Truck crashes in Eaton County peak in February, with 12.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Carmel?
Garbage trucks were involved in 12 reported crashes in Eaton County since 2015 (1.5% of truck crashes).
How does Carmel compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 63.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Eaton County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Carmel?
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.