Lake Leelanau, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Leelanau: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Leelanau 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 stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for 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.
That averages about one truck crash every 54 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Lake Leelanau since 2015, this page uses Leelanau County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 20.7% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (1.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.6% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for 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
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Leelanau since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 3.4%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Route planning tips for Lake Leelanau fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 35.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Michigan; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 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 |
Lake Leelanau at a glance
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49653) | $85,787 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49653) | $671,407 |
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 Lake Leelanau
How common are truck crashes in Lake Leelanau?
Leelanau County has had 87 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 15 people and killing 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake Leelanau?
The worst month is July: 20.7% of truck crashes in Leelanau County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lake Leelanau?
Since 2015, Leelanau County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lake Leelanau 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 Lake Leelanau?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.