Rockford, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rockford: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rockford 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 sits below Michigan on 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).
The headline for Rockford: SR-57 6 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Rockford.
Overview
Police reported 4,686 crashes involving commercial trucks in Kent County since 2015: 1,048 people were injured and 69 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
With 18 truck crashes reported in Rockford since 2015, this page uses Kent County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 12.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.3%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.2% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 15.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-57 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). Next come SR-37 (2), CR-17 Mile Rd (1) and CR-CIRCLE Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
116 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (14%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.0 deaths compared with 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Rockford 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.
- 28.1% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Michigan; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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) |
|---|---|
| SR-57 | 6 |
| SR-37 | 2 |
| CR-17 Mile Rd | 1 |
| CR-CIRCLE Dr | 1 |
| SR-19 | 1 |
| SR-44 | 1 |
| US-131 | 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 |
Rockford at a glance
| Population | 6,291 |
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,951 per sq mi |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 230 to 428. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 6.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rockford
How many truck crashes happen in Rockford?
4,686 truck crashes have been reported in Kent County since 2015, with 69 deaths and 1,048 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Rockford?
Since 2015, SR-57 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Rockford: 6.
When do most truck crashes happen in Rockford?
The worst month is January: 12.6% of truck crashes in Kent County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Rockford?
116 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Kent County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Rockford compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Kent County has 58.4 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Rockford?
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.