Traverse City, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Traverse City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Traverse City 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 |
Grand Traverse 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.
What stands out in Grand Traverse County: 1 in 19 garbage-truck share of crashes is 5.1%, against 3.2% for Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 518 crashes involving commercial trucks in Grand Traverse County since 2015: 153 people were injured and 18 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 8 days.
Only 83 truck crashes were reported in Traverse City since 2015; patterns below come from Grand Traverse County as a whole.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 10.0% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.8%).
November through March accounts for 44.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 9.7% of truck crashes.
25.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Traverse City since 2015: SR-72 (2), US-31 (2), CR-633 Silver Lake Rd (1), CR-BEITNER Rd (1) and CR-SOUTH Long Lake Rd (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
25 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.8% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (20% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Traverse City fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| SR-72 | 2 |
| US-31 | 2 |
| CR-633 Silver Lake Rd | 1 |
| CR-BEITNER Rd | 1 |
| CR-SOUTH Long Lake Rd | 1 |
| CR-ZIMMER Rd | 1 |
| SR-22 | 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 |
Traverse City at a glance
| Population | 15,782 |
| Land area | 8.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,907 per sq mi |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 25 a year in the 1990s and 49 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Traverse City
How many truck accidents are there in Traverse City?
518 truck crashes have been reported in Grand Traverse County since 2015, with 18 deaths and 153 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Traverse City?
February has the most truck crashes in Grand Traverse County, 10.0% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Traverse City?
25 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Grand Traverse County since 2015, 4.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Traverse City compared with Michigan?
The yearly rate is 45.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Grand Traverse County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Traverse City?
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.