Wayne County, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wayne County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Wayne County compares with Michigan
Wayne County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Wayne County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Wayne County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 60.8 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 12% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.0% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 49% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.6% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.4% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.4% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.3% | 20.7% | 24.8% | same |
Wayne County sits below Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr.
The headline for Wayne County: I-75 16 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road in Wayne County.
Overview
Police reported 12,681 crashes involving commercial trucks in Wayne County since 2015: 3,989 people were injured and 186 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 3 truck crashes a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in March (7.6%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.4% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 7.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 9.0% of truck crashes, compared with 17.7% in Michigan.
Where crashes happen
I-75 leads in Wayne County with 16 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-94 (12), Van Born Rd (6) and SR-102 (5).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 359 crashes, 2.8% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in October (11% of them).
They recorded 1.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Wayne County fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Wayne County.
- Look at alternatives to I-75 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at October schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Wayne County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Wayne County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 16 |
| I-94 | 12 |
| Van Born Rd | 6 |
| SR-102 | 5 |
| I-275 | 4 |
| SR-14 | 4 |
| SR-3 | 4 |
| US-12 | 4 |
| US-24 | 4 |
| I-96 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Wayne County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 1,175 |
| I-94 | 1,020 |
| I-96 | 409 |
| Telegraph | 369 |
| I-275 | 296 |
| Michigan | 278 |
| Mile | 219 |
| Fort | 200 |
Wayne County at a glance
| Population | 1,771,063 |
| Land area | 611.8 sq mi |
| Density | 2,895 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $66,192 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Wayne 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 | 884 | — | 19.8 |
| 2000s | 873 | -1% | 12.7 |
| 2010s | 748 | -14% | 11.4 |
| 2020s | 1,137 | +52% | 13.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 884 to 1,137. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 11.5 a year in 2016–19, 13.6 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Wayne County
ZIP codes in Wayne County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Wayne County
How common are truck crashes in Wayne County?
Wayne County has had 12,681 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 3,989 people and killing 186.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Wayne County?
Since 2015, I-75 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Wayne County: 16.
When do most truck crashes happen in Wayne County?
Truck crashes in Wayne County peak in September, with 9.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Wayne County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 359 reported crashes in Wayne County since 2015 (2.8% of truck crashes).
How does Wayne County compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
Wayne County records 60.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Wayne County?
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.