Counties with the most motor vehicle accident fatalities in Michigan
Counties with the most motor vehicle accident fatalities in Michigan
Media outlets were quick during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdowns that defined the summer and fall of 2020 to note just how little traffic there was as a result. Simple logic would suggest that less traffic equals a lower likelihood of accidents and thus fewer injuries and fatalities. Sadly, this was not the case.
Nationwide, traffic fatalities rose 7.2% in 2020 to nearly 39,000. That number was the highest recorded since 2007. Qualifying this disturbing fact is a sticky wicket—common denominators behind traffic deaths such as impaired driving, failure to use a seat belt, and excessive speed were certainly contributing factors, but they alone do not account for a rise in deaths commensurate with a 430-million-mile drop in the number of miles people traveled across the course of the year. What can be qualified, however, is where fatal crashes took place.
Citing data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Stacker identified the counties in Michigan that had the most fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in 2020. The number of accident fatalities are ranked by the number of deaths per 100,000 people, with the raw number functioning as a tiebreaker. The analysis only looked at counties with at least five deaths during 2020. Additional data is included on pedestrian, bicyclist, and drunk-driving-related deaths. In counties where at least five fatalities happened on the same street or interstate, the road with the most deaths is also included.
#50. Ottawa County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#49. Grand Traverse County, Michigan
- 3 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 1 death involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#48. Ingham County, Michigan
- 2 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 5 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#47. Washtenaw County, Michigan
- 8 pedestrian deaths
- 3 bicyclist deaths
- 7 deaths involving drunk drivers
- Road with most fatalities: I-94 (6 fatalities)
#46. Saginaw County, Michigan
- 3 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#45. Berrien County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 7 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#44. Lapeer County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 1 death involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#43. Kalamazoo County, Michigan
- 4 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 10 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#42. Kent County, Michigan
- 12 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 20 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#41. Jackson County, Michigan
- 3 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 4 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#40. Barry County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#39. Bay County, Michigan
- 4 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 3 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#38. Midland County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#37. Hillsdale County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 0 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#36. Livingston County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 5 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#35. Mecosta County, Michigan
- 3 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 1 death involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#34. Clinton County, Michigan
- 2 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#33. Eaton County, Michigan
- 2 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#32. Muskegon County, Michigan
- 2 pedestrian deaths
- 2 bicyclist deaths
- 10 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#31. Shiawassee County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 1 bicyclist death
- 1 death involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#30. Genesee County, Michigan
- 13 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 10 deaths involving drunk drivers
- Road with most fatalities: I-475 (5 fatalities)
#29. Lenawee County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 7 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#28. Wayne County, Michigan
- 61 pedestrian deaths
- 12 bicyclist deaths
- 55 deaths involving drunk drivers
- Road with most fatalities: I-94 (11 fatalities)
#27. Gratiot County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 0 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#26. Calhoun County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 1 bicyclist death
- 6 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#25. St. Clair County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 1 bicyclist death
- 11 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#24. Isabella County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 4 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#23. Huron County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 0 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#22. Monroe County, Michigan
- 3 pedestrian deaths
- 3 bicyclist deaths
- 11 deaths involving drunk drivers
- Road with most fatalities: I-75 (5 fatalities)
#21. Montcalm County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 4 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#20. Mason County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 0 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#19. Oceana County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 4 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#18. Chippewa County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 3 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#17. Dickinson County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 0 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#16. Cass County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 5 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#15. Ionia County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 7 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#14. Van Buren County, Michigan
- 3 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 5 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#13. Otsego County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 3 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#12. Antrim County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#11. Allegan County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 5 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#10. Tuscola County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 7 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#9. Clare County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 0 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#8. Menominee County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 3 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#7. St. Joseph County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 1 bicyclist death
- 4 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#6. Manistee County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 3 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#5. Ogemaw County, Michigan
- 2 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 1 death involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#4. Newaygo County, Michigan
- 1 pedestrian death
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 6 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#3. Arenac County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 3 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#2. Osceola County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 6 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities
#1. Oscoda County, Michigan
- 0 pedestrian deaths
- 0 bicyclist deaths
- 2 deaths involving drunk drivers
- No roads with at least five fatalities