Muskegon Heights, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Muskegon Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Muskegon Heights and Muskegon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Muskegon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Muskegon County compares with Michigan
Muskegon County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Muskegon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Muskegon County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 30.5 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 42% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.2% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 23.0% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.5% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.4% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.9% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.8% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 19% below the state |
Compared with Michigan, Muskegon County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, morning rush (6–10 am) 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 Muskegon County: January worst month: 14.7% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Muskegon County has recorded 659 truck crashes since 2015, with 195 people injured and 22 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
With 21 truck crashes reported in Muskegon Heights since 2015, this page uses Muskegon County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (14.7% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.0%).
November through March accounts for 44.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (9.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 23.0% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Muskegon Heights since 2015 were spread across roads: Sherman Blvd (2), US-31 (2), CR-HEIGHTS Ravenna Rd (1), CR-W River Rd (1) and SR-120 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 29 crashes, 4.4% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Their busiest month is December, with 21% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.0, vs 3.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Muskegon Heights fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 23.0% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Muskegon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Sherman Blvd | 2 |
| US-31 | 2 |
| CR-HEIGHTS Ravenna Rd | 1 |
| CR-W River Rd | 1 |
| SR-120 | 1 |
| SR-46 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Muskegon County) |
|---|---|
| Apple | 59 |
| US-31 | 58 |
| S Us 31 | 54 |
| N Us 31 | 35 |
| Sherman | 32 |
| Holton | 32 |
| Maple Island | 22 |
| Laketon | 21 |
Muskegon Heights at a glance
| Population | 9,806 |
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
| Density | 3,079 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Muskegon 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 | 34 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 44 | +31% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 38 | -13% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 58 | +51% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 34 to 58. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Muskegon Heights
How many truck crashes happen in Muskegon Heights?
659 truck crashes have been reported in Muskegon County since 2015, with 22 deaths and 195 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Muskegon Heights?
January has the most truck crashes in Muskegon County, 14.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Muskegon Heights?
Since 2015, Muskegon County has reported 29 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Muskegon Heights compared with Michigan?
The yearly rate is 30.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Muskegon County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Muskegon Heights?
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.