Kent County, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kent County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Kent County compares with Michigan
Kent County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kent County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kent County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 58.4 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 29% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.22 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.9% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 10% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.1% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.8% | 21.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.4% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 11% below the state |
Kent County has lower values than Michigan for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Kent County: SR-57 most fatal truck crashes in Kent County: 7 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 4,686 crashes involving commercial trucks in Kent County since 2015: 1,048 people were injured and 69 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (12.6% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.3%).
November through March accounts for 42.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.5%).
Road surface: 15.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Kent County is SR-57, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come US-131 (5), SR-37 (4) and I-96 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 116 crashes, 2.5% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Their busiest month is January, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.0 deaths compared with 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Kent County fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-57 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.1% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Kent County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Kent County) |
|---|---|
| SR-57 | 7 |
| US-131 | 5 |
| SR-37 | 4 |
| I-96 | 3 |
| SR-11 | 3 |
| SR-44 | 3 |
| SR-6 | 3 |
| CR-ALDEN Nash Ave | 2 |
| 44th Street | 1 |
| Barden Dr Se | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kent County) |
|---|---|
| US-131 | 414 |
| I-96 | 221 |
| N Us 131 | 205 |
| 28Th | 201 |
| S Us 131 | 200 |
| Mile | 163 |
| 44Th | 113 |
| I-196 | 110 |
Kent County at a glance
| Population | 673,002 |
| Land area | 848.9 sq mi |
| Density | 793 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $87,408 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kent 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 | 230 | — | 6.9 |
| 2000s | 253 | +10% | 5.5 |
| 2010s | 259 | +2% | 4.9 |
| 2020s | 428 | +65% | 5.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 230 a year in the 1990s and 428 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 6.2 a year in 2016–19 and 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Kent County
ZIP codes in Kent County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Kent County
How many truck accidents are there in Kent County?
4,686 truck crashes have been reported in Kent County since 2015, with 69 deaths and 1,048 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Kent County?
Since 2015, SR-57 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Kent County: 7.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Kent County?
The worst month is January: 12.6% of truck crashes in Kent County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Kent County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 116 reported crashes in Kent County since 2015 (2.5% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Kent County compare with Michigan?
Kent County records 58.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Kent County?
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.