Saranac, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Saranac: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Saranac 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
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 |
Ionia County sits below Michigan 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.
The headline for Ionia County: 1 in 76 crashes involve a garbage truck (9 since 2015), vs 3.2% across Michigan.
Overview
Ionia County has recorded 683 truck crashes since 2015, with 174 people injured and 21 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
Saranac had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Ionia County numbers.
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.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (8.3%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 28.1% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-96 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). It is followed by CR-ALDEN Nash Ave (2), SR-21 (2) and CR-JORDAN Lake Rd (1).
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 Saranac fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-96, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- With 28.1% 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 Ionia County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-96 | 3 |
| CR-ALDEN Nash Ave | 2 |
| SR-21 | 2 |
| CR-JORDAN Lake Rd | 1 |
| Jackson Rd | 1 |
| SR-50 | 1 |
| SR-66 | 1 |
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 |
Saranac at a glance
| Population | 1,379 |
| Land area | 1.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,199 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48881) | $78,607 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48881) | $223,304 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 22 a year in the 1990s and 64 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Saranac
How many truck crashes happen in Saranac?
Ionia County has had 683 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 174 people and killing 21.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Saranac?
I-96 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Saranac since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Saranac?
Truck crashes in Ionia County peak in January, with 13.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Saranac?
Since 2015, Ionia County has reported 9 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Saranac compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Ionia County has 84.1 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Saranac?
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.