States › Michigan › Routes › State Route 51
State Route 51
Fatal crashes 2015–2024 20Deaths 22Counties 3Latest data year 2024
FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024. The route is the trafficway recorded for each crash (FARS TWAY_ID); the same route number in another state has its own page.
State Route 51 in Michigan was the trafficway in 20 fatal crashes between 2015 and 2024, in which 22 people died.
That is 0.2% of the 9,800 fatal crashes in Michigan over the same years. The ten-year crash count rose 67% from 12 in 2005–2014 to 20 in 2015–2024.
The crashes were concentrated in Cass County (10), Berrien County (7) and Van Buren County (3).
30.0% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (Michigan: 28.1%) and 10.0% had a speeding-related driver (25.4%); pedestrians were 22.7% and motorcyclists 13.6% of those killed.
Fatal crashes per year
Route identification in FARS is consistent from 2000; earlier years are not shown. Shaded band: the ten-year window used for the shares below.
Compared with all fatal crashes in Michigan
| Measure | State Route 51 | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 20 | 9,800 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 22 | 10,567 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Share of state fatal crashes | 0.2% | 100% |
| Change vs previous ten years | +67% | +8% |
Factor shares
Counties along the route
| # | County | Fatal crashes on SR-51 | Share of route | County total, all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass County | 10 | 50% | 108 |
| 2 | Berrien County | 7 | 35% | 175 |
| 3 | Van Buren County | 3 | 15% | 131 |
Hour of day
Share of fatal crashes on State Route 51 beginning in each hour, 2015–2024; tick marks the Michigan share for all roads.
Where along the route
| Mile marker range | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mile 0–5 | 14 | 70% |
| Mile 5–10 | 4 | 20% |
| Mile 10–15 | 1 | 5% |
Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 95% of crashes on the route have a milepoint. Milepoints are as recorded by the state and can restart at county or district lines.
Other routes in Michigan
- Interstate 94 288
- Interstate 75 222
- Interstate 96 173
- US Route 131 148
- US Route 12 143
- US Route 31 136
- State Route 3 119
- US Route 24 104
- US Route 23 89
- State Route 102 78
- State Route 53 75
- State Route 43 73
All routes and counties in Michigan
Questions and answers
How many fatal crashes have there been on State Route 51 in Michigan?
20 fatal crashes with 22 deaths over 2015–2024, per NHTSA's FARS. The route is the trafficway recorded for the crash; the same numbered route in another state has its own page.
Which counties along State Route 51 had the most fatal crashes?
Cass County (10), Berrien County (7) and Van Buren County (3).
What share of crashes on State Route 51 involved alcohol or speeding?
30.0% had a driver reported as drinking and 10.0% a speeding-related driver, against 28.1% and 25.4% for all fatal crashes in Michigan.
When do fatal crashes happen on State Route 51?
45.0% of the crashes were between 6pm and 6am. The hour chart on this page shows the full distribution.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, annual national CSV files 2000–2024 (accident, vehicle and person tables), public domain. Route pages are built for signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology and corrections.