Birmingham, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Birmingham: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Birmingham and Oakland County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Oakland County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 0.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Oakland County compares with Michigan
Oakland County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Oakland County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Oakland County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.3 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 23% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.9 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 57% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.4% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.6% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 40% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.6% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.7% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 17.1% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Compared with Michigan, Oakland County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Oakland County: 0.9 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.1 in Michigan.
Overview
Since 2015, 6,145 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Oakland County. They injured 1,773 people and killed 59.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 71 truck crashes reported in Birmingham since 2015, this page uses Oakland County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (9.6% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.3% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 8.5% of truck crashes.
10.6% 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 Birmingham since 2015 were spread across roads: I-696 (4), US-24 (4), SR-102 (3), 7 Mile Rd (2) and CR-LONG Lake Rd (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 267 crashes, 4.3% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Their busiest month is January, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.2 deaths compared with 0.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Birmingham fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Oakland County.
- Morning starts matter: 27.6% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Michigan.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Oakland County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-696 | 4 |
| US-24 | 4 |
| SR-102 | 3 |
| 7 Mile Rd | 2 |
| CR-LONG Lake Rd | 2 |
| I-75 | 2 |
| Mound Rd | 2 |
| SR-10 | 2 |
| 10 Mile Rd | 1 |
| 13 Mile Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Oakland County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 539 |
| I-696 | 350 |
| Mile | 320 |
| Telegraph | 316 |
| I-96 | 232 |
| Lapeer | 176 |
| Woodward | 136 |
| Highland | 122 |
Birmingham at a glance
| Population | 22,198 |
| Land area | 4.8 sq mi |
| Density | 4,631 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48009) | $153,401 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48009) | $701,795 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Oakland 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 | 385 | — | 7.5 |
| 2000s | 408 | +6% | 6.5 |
| 2010s | 355 | -13% | 4.0 |
| 2020s | 558 | +57% | 3.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 385 to 558. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 3.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Birmingham
How common are truck crashes in Birmingham?
Since 2015, 6,145 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Oakland County (1,773 injured, 59 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Birmingham?
The worst month is July: 9.6% of truck crashes in Oakland County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Birmingham?
Since 2015, Oakland County has reported 267 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Birmingham compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Oakland County has 40.3 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Birmingham?
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.