Empire, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Empire: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Empire and Leelanau County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Leelanau County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 87 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Leelanau County compares with Michigan
Leelanau County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Leelanau County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Leelanau County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.4 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 44% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.8 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 3.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.16 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 47% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.0% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 35.1% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 2.0× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.7% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 29.7% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.6% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 9.5% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 54% below the state |
Leelanau County sits below Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and after dark. It runs above Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Leelanau County: 6.8 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.1 in Michigan.
Overview
Since 2015, 87 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Leelanau County. They injured 15 people and killed 5.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 54 days.
Empire had 5 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Leelanau County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (20.7% of the year) and are lowest in May (1.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.6% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (12.6%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 35.1% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Empire.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 3 crashes, 3.4% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Route planning tips for Empire fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Leelanau County.
- 35.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Michigan; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Leelanau County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Leelanau County) |
|---|---|
| Traverse | 16 |
| West Bay Shore | 10 |
| Center | 4 |
| Manitou | 4 |
| West Bayshore | 4 |
| Kasson | 3 |
| Bugai | 2 |
| Coleman | 2 |
Empire at a glance
| Population | 356 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 346 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49636) | $119,688 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49636) | $795,426 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Leelanau 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 | 2 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 4 | +56% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 4 | +13% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 7 | +59% | 0.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 7. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Empire
How many truck accidents are there in Empire?
87 truck crashes have been reported in Leelanau County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 15 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Empire?
Truck crashes in Leelanau County peak in July, with 20.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Empire?
Since 2015, Leelanau County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Empire compared with Michigan?
Leelanau County records 29.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Empire?
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.