North Branch, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Branch: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Branch and Lapeer County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lapeer County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
16 of 479 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lapeer County compares with Michigan
Lapeer County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lapeer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lapeer County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 45.7 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 13% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.27 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.4% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.3% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.9% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 9% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.8% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.1% | 20.7% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Michigan, Lapeer County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Lapeer County: January the month with the most truck crashes: 10.9% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 479 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lapeer County since 2015: 132 people were injured and 11 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
North Branch had 9 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lapeer County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (6.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.8% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (9.8%).
21.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of North Branch happened on SR-24 (2), SR-53 (1) and SR-90 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
16 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Route planning tips for North Branch fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 21.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Michigan; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Lapeer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-24 | 2 |
| SR-53 | 1 |
| SR-90 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lapeer County) |
|---|---|
| I-69 | 61 |
| Van Dyke | 51 |
| Lapeer | 40 |
| Main | 39 |
| Vandyke | 27 |
| Cedar | 17 |
| Newark | 9 |
| Burnside | 9 |
North Branch at a glance
| Population | 1,104 |
| Land area | 1.4 sq mi |
| Density | 766 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48461) | $78,453 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48461) | $203,649 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lapeer 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 | 36 | — | 1.7 |
| 2000s | 41 | +14% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 28 | -31% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 43 | +51% | 1.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 36 a year in the 1990s and 43 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Branch
How common are truck crashes in North Branch?
479 truck crashes have been reported in Lapeer County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 132 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in North Branch?
January has the most truck crashes in Lapeer County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in North Branch?
Since 2015, Lapeer County has reported 16 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in North Branch compare with Michigan?
Lapeer County records 45.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in North Branch?
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.