Otter Lake, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Otter Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Otter Lake 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 |
Lapeer County sits below Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Lapeer County: January worst month: 10.9% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 479 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lapeer County. They injured 132 people and killed 11.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 9 days.
Otter Lake had 0 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
The worst month is January with 10.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 6.3%.
November through March accounts for 43.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
21.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Otter Lake since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-24 (2), CR-MILLINGTON Rd (1) and SR-57 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
16 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Route planning tips for Otter Lake fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lapeer County.
- With 21.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Michigan), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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 |
| CR-MILLINGTON Rd | 1 |
| SR-57 | 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 |
Otter Lake at a glance
| Population | 357 |
| Land area | 0.8 sq mi |
| Density | 473 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48464) | $81,417 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48464) | $204,190 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 36 to 43. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Otter Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Otter Lake?
Since 2015, 479 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lapeer County (132 injured, 11 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Otter Lake?
Truck crashes in Lapeer County peak in January, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Otter Lake?
Since 2015, Lapeer County has reported 16 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Otter Lake compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 45.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lapeer County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Otter Lake?
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.