Backus, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Backus: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Backus and Roscommon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Roscommon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 114 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Roscommon County compares with Michigan
Roscommon County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Roscommon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Roscommon County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 39.9 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 24% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 10% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.7% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 29.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.4% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 28.6% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.9% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 13.3% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 36% below the state |
Roscommon County has lower values than Michigan for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It runs above Michigan on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Roscommon County: 1 in 18 crashes involve a garbage truck (6 since 2015), vs 3.2% across Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 114 crashes involving commercial trucks in Roscommon County since 2015: 30 people were injured and 2 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 38 days.
Backus had 8 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Roscommon County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 13.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 4.4%.
November through March accounts for 41.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (10.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 29.5% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Backus since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-100 Houghton Lake Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 6 of the truck crashes here, or 5.3%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Route planning tips for Backus fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 31.4% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Michigan.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 29.5% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Roscommon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-100 Houghton Lake Dr | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Roscommon County) |
|---|---|
| Houghton Lake | 18 |
| I-75 | 7 |
| Roscommon | 6 |
| Lake City | 5 |
| US-127 | 5 |
| Higgins Lake | 4 |
| N Us 127 | 4 |
| Emery | 2 |
Backus at a glance
| Population | 301 |
| Land area | 34.4 sq mi |
| Density | 9 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48651) | $43,712 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48651) | $170,831 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Roscommon 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 | 8 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 7 | -16% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 5 | -23% | 0.0 |
| 2020s | 11 | +98% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 8 to 11. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Backus
How many truck accidents are there in Backus?
Since 2015, 114 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Roscommon County (30 injured, 2 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Backus?
The worst month is October: 13.2% of truck crashes in Roscommon County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Backus?
Since 2015, Roscommon County has reported 6 garbage-truck crashes, or 5.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Backus compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Roscommon County has 39.9 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Backus?
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.