A city in west Michigan is the state’s most dangerous city for car crashes, according to a survey by attorneys who specialize in automotive crash law.
Kent County’s city of Walker topped the list of the 20 municipalities with the most vehicle crashes per capita, Michigan Auto Law said in a report released Thursday.
Walker had 546 crashes per 10,000 residents, according to the analysis. The city, which has a population of 25,921, had 1,416 total crashes with four fatalities and 323 injuries.
City officials were not immediately available for comment on Friday.
The other cities that made the list
Rankings in the report’s top 20 most dangerous Michigan cities for crashes are:
∎ 2. Auburn Hills with 509 crashes per 10,000 residents. The Oakland County city, which has a population of 26,047, had 1,328 crashes with four fatalities and 319 injuries;
∎ 3. Emmet Township in Calhoun County had 492 crashes per 10,000 residents. The township of 11,755 had 579 total crashes with four fatalities and 85 injuries;
∎ 4. Traverse City in Grand Traverse County had 487 crashes per 10,000 residents. The city of 15,782 had 769 total crashes with one fatality and 155 injuries;
∎ 5. Romulus had 477 crashes per 10,000 residents. The Wayne County community of 24,652 had 1,178 total crashes with six fatalities and 350 injuries;
∎ 6. Garfield Township, also in Grand Traverse County, had 443 crashes per 10,000 residents. The township of 19,916 had 884 total crashes with two fatalities and 160 injuries;
∎ 7. Grandville, also in Kent County, had 435 crashes per 10,000 residents. The city of 17,094 had 745 total crashes with no fatalities and 173 injuries;
∎ 8. Southfield had 430 crashes per 10,000 residents. The Oakland County city of 76,874 had 3,313 total crashes with 10 fatalities and 945 injuries;
∎ 9. Benton Township in Berrien County had 426 crashes per 10,000 residents. The community of 14,105 saw 602 total crashes with four fatalities and 192 injuries;
∎ 10. Ypsilanti had 415 crashes per 10,000 residents. The Washtenaw County city of 20,150 had 838 total crashes with one fatality and 151 injuries;
∎ 11. Flint Township in Genesee County had 407 crashes per 10,000 residents. The township of 30,962 had 1,263 total crashes with two fatalities and 435 injuries;
∎ 12. Hazel Park had 389 crashes per 10,000 residents. The Oakland County city of 15,064 had 586 total crashes with two fatalities and 193 injuries;
∎ 13. Cascade Township, Kent County, had 385 crashes per 10,000 residents. The township of 20,172 saw 777 total crashes with two fatalities and 159 injuries;
∎ 14. Springfield Township, also in Oakland County, had 384 crashes per 10,000 residents. The community of 14,967 had 576 total crashes with two fatalities and 146 injuries;
∎ 15. Detroit had 376 crashes per 10,000 residents. The city of 645,705 had 24,321 total crashes with 104 fatalities and 8,872 injuries;
∎ 16. Kalamazoo saw 373 crashes per 10,000 residents. The Kalamazoo County city of 73,290 had 2,736 total crashes with five fatalities and 659 injuries;
∎ 17. Mundy Township, in Genesee County, had 369 crashes per 10,000 residents. The community of 15,416 had 569 total crashes with two fatalities and 172 injuries;
∎ 18. Niles Township, in Berrien County, saw 365 crashes per 10,000 residents. The township of 14,300 had 523 total crashes with one fatality and 166 injuries;
∎ 19. Plymouth Township had 362 crashes per 10,000 residents. The Wayne County community of 27,191 had 987 total crashes with five fatalities and 248 injuries, and
∎ 20. Madison Heights in Oakland County had 359 crashes per 10,000 residents. The city of 28,626 saw 1,030 total crashes with two fatalities and 286 injuries.
“The goal of this report is to help drivers stay informed and safe,” Steve Gursten, Michigan Auto Law’s president, said in a statement. “We want drivers to make informed decisions about where they drive and to know when they need to be especially careful and vigilant behind the wheel.”
How were the rankings determined?
The Farmington Hills-based law firm said the report’s rankings are based on an analysis of 2024 data from Michigan Traffic Crash Facts and the U.S. Census. The firm said it compiled the rankings for cities with at least 500 crashes in a single year and populations of 10,000 or more. The rankings are based on crashes per 10,000 residents.
Michigan Auto Law also publishes reports on the state’s most dangerous intersections and most dangerous roundabouts.
“We also want lawmakers, community leaders, and policymakers to have the information they need to improve road safety for everyone — whether through better road design and urban planning, stepped-up law enforcement, or public education campaigns that promote safe driving,” Gursten said.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
@CharlesERamirez
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: This city was named the most dangerous in Michigan for car crashes
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
