North Plains, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Plains: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Plains and Ionia County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ionia County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 683 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Ionia County compares with Michigan
Ionia County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ionia County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ionia County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 84.1 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.24 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 20% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.3% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 59% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.1% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.0% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.4% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.1% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 25.8% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Michigan, Ionia County is lower on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Ionia County: 1 in 76 crashes involve a garbage truck (9 since 2015), vs 3.2% across Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 683 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ionia County since 2015: 174 people were injured and 21 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
Only 4 truck crashes were reported in North Plains since 2015; patterns below come from Ionia County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.6% of the year) and are lowest in May (5.7%).
November through March accounts for 48.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 8.3% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 28.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of North Plains since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 9 crashes, 1.3% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Route planning tips for North Plains fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 28.1% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Michigan), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Ionia County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ionia County) |
|---|---|
| I-96 | 233 |
| State | 48 |
| Grand River | 18 |
| Bluewater | 14 |
| Dexter | 13 |
| Belding | 10 |
| David | 9 |
| Lincoln | 9 |
North Plains at a glance
| Population | 1,196 |
| Land area | 35.8 sq mi |
| Density | 33 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48860) | $50,600 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48860) | $178,370 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ionia 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 | 22 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 31 | +39% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 34 | +12% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 64 | +84% | 1.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 22 to 64. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Plains
How common are truck crashes in North Plains?
Since 2015, 683 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Ionia County (174 injured, 21 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in North Plains?
The worst month is January: 13.6% of truck crashes in Ionia County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in North Plains?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Ionia County since 2015 (1.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in North Plains compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Ionia County has 84.1 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in North Plains?
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.