Charleston, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Charleston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Charleston and Kalamazoo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Kalamazoo 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 2.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Kalamazoo County compares with Michigan
Kalamazoo County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kalamazoo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kalamazoo County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.1 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 51% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.4% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.5% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 30.1% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 51.1% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 25.1% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Kalamazoo County has lower values than Michigan for garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Kalamazoo County: 27.4% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Overview
Kalamazoo County has recorded 1,842 truck crashes since 2015, with 841 people injured and 43 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Only 185 truck crashes were reported in Charleston since 2015; patterns below come from Kalamazoo County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 51.1% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 27.4% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
I-94 leads within 10 miles of Charleston with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come Avenue A (1), CR-6 Mile Rd (1) and CR-G Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 28 of the truck crashes here, or 1.5%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (18%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Charleston fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-94 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 27.4% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; schedule winter 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 Kalamazoo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 6 |
| Avenue A | 1 |
| CR-6 Mile Rd | 1 |
| CR-G Ave | 1 |
| CR-MN Ave | 1 |
| Columbia Ave | 1 |
| N 35th St | 1 |
| SR-37 | 1 |
| SR-89 | 1 |
| SR-96 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kalamazoo County) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 333 |
| Sprinkle | 93 |
| US-131 | 78 |
| N Us 131 | 58 |
| S Us 131 | 47 |
| Michigan | 41 |
| Stadium | 39 |
| Westnedge | 38 |
Charleston at a glance
| Population | 1,896 |
| Land area | 34.8 sq mi |
| Density | 55 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49012) | $73,125 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49012) | $256,070 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kalamazoo 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 | 101 | — | 3.3 |
| 2000s | 110 | +9% | 1.8 |
| 2010s | 104 | -5% | 2.4 |
| 2020s | 167 | +60% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 101 a year in the 1990s and 167 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Charleston
How common are truck crashes in Charleston?
Kalamazoo County has had 1,842 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 841 people and killing 43.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Charleston?
NHTSA data shows I-94 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Charleston since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Charleston?
The worst month is January: 13.9% of truck crashes in Kalamazoo County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Charleston?
Since 2015, Kalamazoo County has reported 28 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.5% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Charleston compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Kalamazoo County has 59.1 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Charleston?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.