North Star, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Star: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Star and Gratiot County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Gratiot County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 239 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Gratiot County compares with Michigan
Gratiot County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gratiot County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gratiot County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.0 | 52.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 44% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.5% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.2% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 31% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.2% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.8% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Gratiot County has lower values than Michigan for garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
What stands out in Gratiot County: November worst month: 15.5% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 239 crashes involving commercial trucks in Gratiot County since 2015: 67 people were injured and 10 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 18 days.
Only 21 truck crashes were reported in North Star since 2015; patterns below come from Gratiot County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in November (15.5% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 46.2% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.3% of truck crashes.
17.5% 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 North Star since 2015: US-127 (2), CR-S Alger Rd (1) and Wisner Rd (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 2.1% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Route planning tips for North Star fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Gratiot County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-127 | 2 |
| CR-S Alger Rd | 1 |
| Wisner Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gratiot County) |
|---|---|
| Monroe | 44 |
| US-127 | 28 |
| N Us 127 | 17 |
| Cleveland | 16 |
| S Us 127 | 13 |
| Washington | 11 |
| Barry | 11 |
| State | 8 |
North Star at a glance
| Population | 882 |
| Land area | 33.7 sq mi |
| Density | 26 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48862) | $51,563 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gratiot 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 | 14 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 13 | -6% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 14 | +4% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 22 | +60% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 14 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 22. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Star
How many truck crashes happen in North Star?
Since 2015, 239 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Gratiot County (67 injured, 10 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in North Star?
Truck crashes in Gratiot County peak in November, with 15.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in North Star?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Gratiot County since 2015, 2.1% of all truck crashes.
How does North Star compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
Gratiot County records 49.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in North Star?
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.