Safety Planning

The Southwest region of Michigan, including Berrien, Van Buren and Cass counties, is committed to providing a transportation network which promotes the safe, healthy, and efficient passage of people and goods through responsible stewardship, striving for equal access for all citizens.

Southwest Michigan’s success in maximizing the mobility of people and goods depends upon making the transportation system as safe and efficient as possible. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for Michiganders under the age of 45. Traffic crashes produce not only personal tragedy, but increased burdens on the region due to medical and insurance costs, lost production potential, and delay of passengers and freight.

To address this issue at a regional level, SWMPC partnered with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and municipal leaders to develop the Southwest Michigan Local Road Safety Plan to address region’s unique traffic safety issues and challenges. The purpose of the safety plan is to identify the region’s key safety needs and guide investment decisions to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways for all road users, while promoting safe travel for all modes.

The Michigan Traffic Crash Facts website provides users with annual official Michigan crash data. There are two sections to the website: the Publications section that contains crash data statistics; and the Data Query Tool, which allows users to perform advanced searches on the data over specific elements.