ZIP 49085 (Saint Joseph, MI) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 49085: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Berrien County, 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
5.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Berrien County compares with Michigan
Berrien County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Berrien County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Berrien County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 112.9 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 2.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.8 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 14% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.22 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 43% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 38.2% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 2.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 38.4% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.8× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 56.5% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 28.1% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Berrien County sits below Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Michigan on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Berrien County at a glance: 38.2% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Michigan: 17.7%).
Overview
Police reported 2,066 crashes involving commercial trucks in Berrien County since 2015: 460 people were injured and 39 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (19.6% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.9%).
November through March accounts for 56.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 7.9% of truck crashes.
38.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-94 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). After it: CR-LEMON Creek Rd (1), CR-W Linco Rd (1) and Nickerson Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 38 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 3.2% across Michigan.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in July (21%).
They recorded 5.7 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 49085 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-94; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at July schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 38.2% of truck crashes here, more than Michigan; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Berrien County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 4 |
| CR-LEMON Creek Rd | 1 |
| CR-W Linco Rd | 1 |
| Nickerson Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Berrien County) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 631 |
| Pulaski | 56 |
| Napier | 49 |
| I-196 | 36 |
| N Us 31 | 33 |
| Red Arrow | 32 |
| US-31 | 28 |
| US-12 | 28 |
ZIP 49085 at a glance
| Population | 23,827 |
| Density | 381 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $104,969 |
| Median home value | $304,407 |
| Home ownership | 76% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Berrien 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 | 113 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 119 | +5% | 3.9 |
| 2010s | 132 | +11% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 172 | +30% | 2.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 113 to 172. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 49085
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 49085?
Berrien County has had 2,066 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 460 people and killing 39.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 49085?
Since 2015, I-94 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 49085: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 49085?
January has the most truck crashes in Berrien County, 19.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 49085?
Since 2015, Berrien County has reported 38 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.8% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 49085 compared with Michigan?
The yearly rate is 112.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Berrien County, vs 52.4 for Michigan.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 49085?
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.