Allendale, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Allendale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Allendale and Ottawa County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ottawa County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Ottawa County compares with Michigan
Ottawa County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ottawa County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ottawa County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.3 | 52.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 19% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.26 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 13% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.6% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.9% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.0% | 21.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.9% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.0% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Compared with Michigan, Ottawa County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and after dark. It stands out for higher on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Ottawa County: January 14.6% of truck crashes happen in January, more than any other month.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,797 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Ottawa County. They injured 611 people and killed 31.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 51 truck crashes were reported in Allendale since 2015; patterns below come from Ottawa County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (14.6% of the year) and are lowest in March (6.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.9% of truck crashes, vs 44.4% for 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 20.6% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Allendale since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-11 (2), SR-45 (2), 72nd Ave (1), CR-44TH St (1) and CR-48TH Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 57 of the truck crashes here, or 3.2%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Their busiest month is November, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.9 deaths compared with 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Allendale fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 20.6% 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
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 Ottawa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-11 | 2 |
| SR-45 | 2 |
| 72nd Ave | 1 |
| CR-44TH St | 1 |
| CR-48TH Ave | 1 |
| CR-68TH St | 1 |
| I-96 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ottawa County) |
|---|---|
| US-31 | 148 |
| I-196 | 133 |
| I-96 | 115 |
| Chicago | 89 |
| Lake Michigan | 57 |
| I 196 Bl | 46 |
| Riley | 39 |
| Beacon | 39 |
Allendale at a glance
| Population | 26,941 |
| Land area | 23.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,160 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 49401) | $74,880 |
| Median home value (ZIP 49401) | $322,253 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ottawa 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 | 88 | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 100 | +14% | 3.5 |
| 2010s | 111 | +11% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 157 | +42% | 1.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 88 a year in the 1990s and 157 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Allendale
How many truck accidents are there in Allendale?
Ottawa County has had 1,797 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 611 people and killing 31.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Allendale?
Truck crashes in Ottawa County peak in January, with 14.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Allendale?
Since 2015, Ottawa County has reported 57 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.2% of its truck crashes.
How does Allendale compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
Ottawa County records 49.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Allendale?
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.