Spencer, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Spencer: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Spencer 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 |
Compared with Michigan, Kent County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Spencer: SR-57 7 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Spencer.
Overview
Police reported 4,686 crashes involving commercial trucks in Kent County since 2015: 1,048 people were injured and 69 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 15 truck crashes were reported in Spencer since 2015; patterns below come from Kent County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 12.6% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (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, SR-57 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). Next come SR-91 (2), CR-17 Mile Rd (1) and CR-LINCOLN Lake Ave Ne (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
116 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (14% of them).
They recorded 1.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Spencer fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-57 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Kent County.
- 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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-57 | 7 |
| SR-91 | 2 |
| CR-17 Mile Rd | 1 |
| CR-LINCOLN Lake Ave Ne | 1 |
| CR-MEDDLER Ave Ne | 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 |
Spencer at a glance
| Population | 4,254 |
| Land area | 34.6 sq mi |
| Density | 123 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49326) | $84,000 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49326) | $219,978 |
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 Spencer
How common are truck crashes in Spencer?
Since 2015, 4,686 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Kent County (1,048 injured, 69 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Spencer?
NHTSA data shows SR-57 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Spencer since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Spencer?
The worst month is January: 12.6% of truck crashes in Kent County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Spencer?
Since 2015, Kent County has reported 116 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.5% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Spencer compare with Michigan?
Kent County records 58.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Spencer?
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.