Charlton, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Charlton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Charlton and Otsego County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Otsego County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 179 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Otsego County compares with Michigan
Otsego County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Otsego County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Otsego County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 57.5 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.22 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.2% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 45.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 2.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.1% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 33.9% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 60.0% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 15.8% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Otsego County has lower values than Michigan for injuries per crash and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Otsego County at a glance: 45.5% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Overview
Otsego County has recorded 179 truck crashes since 2015, with 39 people injured and 5 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 24 days.
Only 7 truck crashes were reported in Charlton since 2015; patterns below come from Otsego County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 17.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is October at 3.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 60.0% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (12.8%).
Road surface: 45.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Charlton happened on SR-32 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 7 crashes, 3.9% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Route planning tips for Charlton fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 45.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Michigan), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Otsego County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-32 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Otsego County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 35 |
| Main | 16 |
| Old 27 | 10 |
| Otsego | 9 |
| Alba | 5 |
| Mancelona | 5 |
| Mccoy | 5 |
| Townline | 4 |
Charlton at a glance
| Population | 1,412 |
| Land area | 100.4 sq mi |
| Density | 14 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49751) | $62,008 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49751) | $189,653 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Otsego 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 | 13 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 12 | -7% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 12 | -5% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 14 | +25% | 0.0 |
In the 1990s about 13 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 14. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Charlton
How many truck crashes happen in Charlton?
179 truck crashes have been reported in Otsego County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 39 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Charlton?
February has the most truck crashes in Otsego County, 17.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Charlton?
Since 2015, Otsego County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.9% of its truck crashes.
How does Charlton compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 57.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Otsego County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Charlton?
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.