Sterling Heights, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sterling Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 0.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Sterling Heights compares with Michigan
Sterling Heights against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sterling Heights stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sterling Heights | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.8 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.6 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 71% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.25 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 74% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.8% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.3% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 44% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.2% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 12% below the state |
| After dark | 15.5% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 25% below the state |
Sterling Heights sits below Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Sterling Heights: 0.6 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 2.1 across Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 934 crashes involving commercial trucks in Sterling Heights since 2015: 231 people were injured and 7 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in December (6.7%).
November through March accounts for 39.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 9.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 4.5% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
SR-102 leads within 15 miles of Sterling Heights with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-94 (5), Mound Rd (4) and SR-3 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 43 crashes, 4.6% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (16% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 0.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Sterling Heights fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-102 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at July schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Sterling Heights
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-102 | 6 |
| I-94 | 5 |
| Mound Rd | 4 |
| SR-3 | 4 |
| US-24 | 4 |
| CR-23 Mile Rd | 3 |
| I-696 | 3 |
| I-75 | 3 |
| SR-10 | 3 |
| SR-53 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sterling Heights) |
|---|---|
| Mound | 272 |
| Van Dyke | 168 |
| Metropolitan | 72 |
| Hall | 65 |
| Mile | 44 |
| 18 1/2 Mile | 32 |
| Ryan | 25 |
| Schoenherr | 25 |
Sterling Heights at a glance
| Population | 134,342 |
| Land area | 36.4 sq mi |
| Density | 3,686 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sterling Heights 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 | 32 | — | 5.7 |
| 2000s | 42 | +31% | 4.5 |
| 2010s | 62 | +47% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 77 | +24% | 3.4 |
In the 1990s about 32 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 77. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 3.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sterling Heights
How many truck crashes happen in Sterling Heights?
Sterling Heights has had 934 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 231 people and killing 7.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Sterling Heights?
NHTSA data shows SR-102 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Sterling Heights since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Sterling Heights?
The worst month is June: 10.9% of truck crashes in Sterling Heights happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Sterling Heights?
Since 2015, Sterling Heights has reported 43 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.6% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Sterling Heights compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Sterling Heights has 59.8 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Sterling Heights?
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.