Michigan’s Most Dangerous Cities for Car Accidents

Our car accident lawyers reviewed traffic crash data for cities across the state to identify the top 20 most dangerous cities in Michigan for motor vehicle crashes. 

Specifically, for our most dangerous list, we analyzed Michigan cities with 500 or more car accidents in a single year and populations of at least 10,000. Based on this data, we determined which cities are the most dangerous per capita, using the number of crashes per 10,000 residents.

Our lawyers are providing this list of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents because we want people to be safe and stay safe. 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.

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.

Our sincere hope is that this list of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents – along with our lists of Most Dangerous Intersections and Most Dangerous Roundabouts – will help bring about meaningful change, reduce crashes and save lives statewide.

Here are is the list of Top 20 most dangerous cities for car accidents in Michigan in 2024:

1. Walker, Kent County – 546 crashes per 10,000 residents – 25,921 pop., 1,416 total crashes, 4 fatalities, 323 injuries
2. Auburn Hills, Oakland County – 509 crashes per 10,000 residents – 26,047 pop., 1,328 total crashes, 4 fatalities, 319 injuries 
3. Emmet Township, Calhoun County – 492 crashes per 10,000 residents – 11,755 pop. (Emmet Charter Township), 579 total crashes, 4 fatalities, 85 injuries
4. Traverse City, Grand Traverse County – 487 crashes per 10,000 residents – 15,782 pop., 769 total crashes, 1 fatality, 155 injuries
5. Romulus, Wayne County – 477 crashes per 10,000 residents – 24,652 pop., 1,178 total crashes, 6 fatalities, 350 injuries
6. Garfield Township, Grand Traverse County – 443 crashes per 10,000 residents – 19,916 pop. (Garfield Charter Township), 884 total crashes, 2 fatalities, 160 injuries
7. Grandville, Kent County – 435 crashes per 10,000 residents – 17,094 pop., 745 total crashes, 0 fatalities, 173 injuries
8. Southfield, Oakland County – 430 crashes per 10,000 residents – 76,874 pop., 3,313 total crashes, 10 fatalities, 945 injuries
9. Benton Township, Berrien County – 426 crashes per 10,000 residents – 14,105 pop. (Benton Charter Township), 602 total crashes, 4 fatalities, 192 injuries
10. Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County – 415 crashes per 10,000 residents – 20,150 pop., 838 total crashes, 1 fatality, 151 injuries
11. Flint Township, Genesee County – 407 crashes per 10,000 residents – 30,962 pop. (Flint Charter Township), 1,263 total, 2 fatalities, 435 injuries
12. Hazel Park, Oakland County – 389 crashes per 10,000 residents – 15,064 pop., 586 total crashes, 2 fatalities, 193 injuries
13. Cascade Township, Kent County – 385 crashes per 10,000 residents – 20,172 pop. (Cascade Charter Township), 777 total crashes, 2 fatalities, 159 injuries
14. Springfield Township, Oakland County – 384 crashes per 10,000 residents – 14,967 pop. (Springfield Charter Township), 576 total crashes, 2 fatalities, 146 injuries 
15. Detroit, Wayne County – 376 crashes per 10,000 residents – 645,705 pop., 24,321 total crashes, 104 fatalities, 8,872 injuries
16. Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County – 373 crashes per 10,000 residents – 73,290 pop., 2,736 total, 5 fatalities, 659 injuries
17. Mundy Township, Genesee County – 369 crashes per 10,000 residents – 15,416 pop., 569 total crashes, 2 fatalities, 172 injuries
18. Niles Township, Berrien County – 365 crashes per 10,000 residents – 14,300 pop., 523 total crashes, 1 fatality, 166 injuries
19. Plymouth Township, Wayne County – 362 crashes per 10,000 residents – 27,191 pop. (Plymouth Charter Township), 987 total crashes, 5 fatalities, 248 injuries
20. Madison Heights, Oakland County – 359 crashes per 10,000 residents – 28,626 pop., 1,030 total crashes, 2 fatalities, 286 injuries

– Sources: State Traffic Crash Facts; U.S. Census

After a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents, take these steps immediately to protect your health, safety, and legal rights:

• Get medical care immediately – Go to the ER or urgent care if needed, and follow up with your doctor even if symptoms seem minor because concussion, neck and back injuries, and soft-tissue trauma can worsen over time.
• Call the police and insist on a report – Make sure law enforcement responds (if possible) so there is an official crash report documenting drivers, witnesses, roadway conditions, and initial observations.
• Photograph and video everything you can – Capture vehicle positions, damage, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, road conditions, visible injuries, and the surrounding area before vehicles are moved or the scene changes.
• Identify witnesses and preserve their contact info – Get names, phone numbers, and emails for anyone who saw the collision or the other driver’s behavior just before impact.
• Look for evidence of distraction at the scene – Note if the driver had a phone in hand, a phone on their lap, earbuds in, food in the vehicle, an open app on the screen, or other signs of inattention, and write down exactly what you observed.
• Preserve video evidence fast – If injured in a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents make sure to save dashcam footage, request nearby business surveillance, and document any home doorbell cameras near the crash location because footage can be overwritten quickly.
• Be careful with statements to insurers – Provide basic crash information, but avoid recorded statements or detailed explanations before you understand your injuries and before key evidence is secured.
• Track symptoms and daily limitations – Keep a simple log of pain levels, headaches, dizziness, sleep disruption, missed activities, and how the injury affects work and routine because this becomes part of the damages proof.
• Keep all receipts and wage-loss documentation – Save invoices, prescriptions, therapy bills, mileage to appointments, and proof of missed work or reduced hours so the claim reflects the true financial impact.
• Talk to an experienced lawyer early – This is especially important in Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents where serious injuries and complex liability issues are more common.

You can likely sue if you were injured in a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents, but our state’s No-Fault system puts most crash cases into two separate tracks. One track is the claim for No-Fault benefits (medical and wage-loss benefits). The other track is a lawsuit against the at-fault distracted driver for pain and suffering compensation.

For pain and suffering type damages (noneconomic loss), state law allows a lawsuit when a crash victim’s injuries cause him or her to suffer a serious impairment of body function, which means that the injuries affected his or her “general ability to lead his or her normal life.” (MCL 500.3135(1) and (5))

In addition to noneconomic loss, state law also allows a lawsuit to recover unpaid, overdue or excess No-Fault benefits to help pay for medical bills and lost wages if your injuries prevent you from working. (MCL 500.3135(3)(c)).

Here are the main types of compensation that may be available if you are injured in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents:

• No-Fault allowable expenses – Personal protection insurance (PIP) benefits are payable for medical treatment and care, including “[a]llowable expenses consisting of all reasonable charges incurred for reasonably necessary products, services and accommodations for an injured person’s care, recovery or rehabilitation.” (MCL 500.3107(1)(a)).
• No-Fault work loss – PIP benefits are payable for “[w]ork loss consisting of loss of income from work an injured person would have performed during the first 3 years after the date of the crash if he or she had not been injured.” (MCL 500.3107(1)(b)).
• No-Fault replacement services – PIP benefits are payable for “[e]xpenses not exceeding $20.00 per day, reasonably incurred in obtaining ordinary and necessary services in lieu of those that, if he or she had not been injured, an injured person would have performed during the first 3 years after the date of the crash, not for income but for the benefit of himself or herself or of his or her dependent.” (MCL 500.3107(1)(c)).
• Pain and suffering damages in a lawsuit – A driver remains liable for noneconomic loss “only if the injured person has suffered death, serious impairment of body function, or permanent serious disfigurement.” (MCL 500.3135(1)).
• Excess economic loss in a lawsuit – State law also preserves liability for “[d]amages for allowable expenses, work loss, and survivor’s loss . . ..” (MCL 500.3135(3)(c)).

If you are injured in a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents, state law generally gives you three years from the date of the injury or death to file a bodily injury claim. (MCL 600.5805(1) and (2)) This includes claims for pain and suffering compensation.

If you are injured in a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents, you must file a claim for No-Fault PIP benefits within one year of the crash. (MCL 500.3145(1)) That means that within one (1) year of your crash you must file your application for No-Fault benefits – which is also referred to as a “notice of injury” – with the responsible insurance company.

If you are injured in a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents you may not need a lawyer, but many injury cases become difficult to value and prove without one because the insurance company controls the process early and the best evidence can disappear quickly. Proving the at-fault driver’s liability often turns on time-sensitive proof like video, witness accounts, and digital records that can be overwritten, deleted, or never preserved unless someone takes immediate steps to secure them.

A lawyer also matters when the injuries are more than minor, treatment is ongoing, you are missing work, or the insurer is pushing you to give recorded statements and accept a fast settlement before the long-term impact is clear. In those situations, the risk is not just delay, it is locking in a record that undervalues the claim or leaves out key injury details that later become important.

The practical benefit of hiring an experienced lawyer after being injured in a crash in Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents is that it shifts the case from a conversation controlled by the insurer to a proof-driven claim built around documented injuries, reliable wage-loss support, and liability evidence that can hold up if the case has to be litigated.

If you are injured in a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents, choosing the right law firm matters—especially in distracted driving cases—because proving distraction and documenting serious injuries often requires fast action, specialized experience, and real settlement leverage. Results tend to follow firms that build trial-ready cases, preserve evidence early, and have the reputation to force insurers to take a claim seriously. Here are reasons people choose our attorneys for auto crash injury cases:

• Most experienced and specialized – A firm built around serious auto crash litigation, with focused knowledge of how auto injury crash cases are actually proven and valued.
• History of million-dollar results – A proven record of high-value outcomes in serious injury cases, including significant verdicts and settlements.
• Most awarded auto crash firm in the state – Recognitions that reflect sustained excellence and credibility with insurers and defense counsel.
• 3,000+ client reviews and reputation – A depth of client feedback that signals consistent service and outcomes.
• Fast evidence preservation – Immediate steps to secure dashcam footage, business surveillance, witness statements, vehicle data, and other time-sensitive proof that can disappear quickly.
• Digital distraction proof strategy – A focused plan to identify and lawfully pursue phone-use and other distraction evidence so liability is supported by documentation, not guesses.
• Trial-ready leverage from day one – Cases are built as if they will be tried, which is often what forces meaningful settlement offers when an insurer will not pay fairly.
• No-risk free consultation – A free consultation so you can get answers about next steps, timing, and evidence preservation without any upfront cost. 

If you or a loved one were injured in a crash in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents, here’s what to expect during your free consultation:

1. You’ll talk to a real person right away – No forms, no runaround—just an intake specialist ready to listen and help.
2. We’ll quickly understand your situation – We’ll ask a few simple questions about your crash and injuries so we can evaluate your case.
3. You’ll get clear answers—at no cost – We’ll explain your options, what you may be entitled to, and what to do next. The consultation is free and there’s no pressure.
4. If you move forward, we handle everything – Our attorneys deal with the insurance companies, build your case, and guide you every step of the way.

If you or a loved one was injured in one of Michigan’s most dangerous cities for car accidents, call now (888) 974-2856 for a free consultation with one of our experienced lawyers. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.

Michigan Auto Law is the state’s largest and most successful law firm that specializes exclusively in helping people who have been injured in automobile crashes.

Our secret? Our attorneys deliberately handle fewer cases than other personal injury law firms. This allows us to focus more time and attention on our cases.

Unlike other law firms, our attorneys are never too busy to promptly return phone calls and answer questions. 

We have more than 3,000 5-Star Reviews that reflect this care and attention to detail.

More importantly, this client-focused approach leads to better and faster settlements for our clients. We have recovered more million-dollar settlements and trial verdicts for motor vehicle crashes than any other lawyer or law firm in the state. We’ve also recovered the highest ever reported truck crash and auto crash settlement in the state.

Call now so we can start making a real difference for you.