East Bay, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in East Bay: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in East Bay and Grand Traverse County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Grand Traverse County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Grand Traverse County compares with Michigan
Grand Traverse County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Grand Traverse County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Grand Traverse County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 45.7 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 13% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.1% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.9% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.9% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.9% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.2% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 14.2% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 31% below the state |
Compared with Michigan, Grand Traverse County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. It runs above Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Grand Traverse County: 1 in 19 garbage-truck share of crashes is 5.1%, against 3.2% for Michigan.
Overview
Grand Traverse County has recorded 518 truck crashes since 2015, with 153 people injured and 18 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
With 60 truck crashes reported in East Bay since 2015, this page uses Grand Traverse County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 10.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.8%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.2% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 25.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
US-31 leads within 10 miles of East Bay with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by CR-605 Williamsburg Rd (1), CR-633 Silver Lake Rd (1) and CR-BEITNER Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
25 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.8% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Their busiest month is August, with 20% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 3.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for East Bay fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-31; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in August; review collection routes for that month.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 25.9% 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 Grand Traverse County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-31 | 2 |
| CR-605 Williamsburg Rd | 1 |
| CR-633 Silver Lake Rd | 1 |
| CR-BEITNER Rd | 1 |
| CR-ZIMMER Rd | 1 |
| SR-22 | 1 |
| SR-72 | 1 |
| US-41 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Grand Traverse County) |
|---|---|
| US-31 | 108 |
| Garfield | 45 |
| South Airport | 28 |
| Division | 14 |
| Mile | 14 |
| US-131 | 12 |
| Beitner | 12 |
| Grandview | 10 |
East Bay at a glance
| Population | 11,751 |
| Land area | 40.0 sq mi |
| Density | 294 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49696) | $94,803 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49696) | $305,926 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Grand Traverse 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 | 25 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 32 | +28% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 30 | -6% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 49 | +64% | 1.2 |
In the 1990s about 25 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 49. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about East Bay
How many truck accidents are there in East Bay?
Since 2015, 518 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Grand Traverse County (153 injured, 18 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in East Bay?
NHTSA data shows US-31 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of East Bay since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in East Bay?
Truck crashes in Grand Traverse County peak in February, with 10.0% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in East Bay?
Since 2015, Grand Traverse County has reported 25 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.8% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in East Bay compared with Michigan?
Grand Traverse County records 45.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in East Bay?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.