Lowell, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lowell: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lowell and Kent County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Kent County numbers.
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 Lowell: I-96 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Lowell: 5 since 2015.
Overview
Kent County has recorded 4,686 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,048 people injured and 69 killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
With 165 truck crashes reported in Lowell since 2015, this page uses Kent County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (12.6% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.2% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.5%).
15.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-96 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). Next come CR-ALDEN Nash Ave (2), SR-21 (2) and CR-CASCADE Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
116 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
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 Lowell 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.
- 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.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-96 | 5 |
| CR-ALDEN Nash Ave | 2 |
| SR-21 | 2 |
| CR-CASCADE Rd | 1 |
| CR-WHITNEYVILLE Ave Se | 1 |
| Jackson Rd | 1 |
| SR-50 | 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 |
Lowell at a glance
| Population | 4,153 |
| Land area | 2.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,442 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49331) | $91,800 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49331) | $308,460 |
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 large-truck crashes: 6.2 a year in 2016–19, 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lowell
How many truck accidents are there in Lowell?
Kent County has had 4,686 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,048 people and killing 69.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Lowell?
NHTSA data shows I-96 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lowell since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Lowell?
The worst month is January: 12.6% of truck crashes in Kent County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lowell?
116 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Kent County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Lowell compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Kent County has 58.4 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Lowell?
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.