States › Michigan › Routes › State Route 72
State Route 72
Fatal crashes 2015–2024 30Deaths 33Counties 6Latest 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.
Between 2015 and 2024, FARS records 30 fatal crashes on State Route 72 in Michigan, with 33 deaths.
That is 0.3% of the 9,800 fatal crashes in Michigan over the same years. The ten-year crash count fell 9% from 33 in 2005–2014 to 30 in 2015–2024.
The crashes were concentrated in Kalkaska County (7), Leelanau County (7) and Grand Traverse County (6) and 3 other counties.
33.3% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (Michigan: 28.1%) and 20.0% had a speeding-related driver (25.4%); pedestrians were 6.1% and motorcyclists 15.2% 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 72 | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 30 | 9,800 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 33 | 10,567 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Share of state fatal crashes | 0.3% | 100% |
| Change vs previous ten years | -9% | +8% |
Factor shares
Counties along the route
| # | County | Fatal crashes on SR-72 | Share of route | County total, all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalkaska County | 7 | 23% | 35 |
| 2 | Leelanau County | 7 | 23% | 25 |
| 3 | Grand Traverse County | 6 | 20% | 104 |
| 4 | Oscoda County | 6 | 20% | 25 |
| 5 | Crawford County | 3 | 10% | 17 |
| 6 | Alcona County | 1 | 3% | 18 |
Hour of day
Share of fatal crashes on State Route 72 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 | 10 | 33% |
| Mile 5–10 | 9 | 30% |
| Mile 10–15 | 4 | 13% |
| Mile 15–20 | 4 | 13% |
Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 90% 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 72 in Michigan?
30 fatal crashes with 33 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 72 had the most fatal crashes?
Kalkaska County (7), Leelanau County (7), Grand Traverse County (6), Oscoda County (6) and Crawford County (3).
What share of crashes on State Route 72 involved alcohol or speeding?
33.3% had a driver reported as drinking and 20.0% a speeding-related driver, against 28.1% and 25.4% for all fatal crashes in Michigan.
When do fatal crashes happen on State Route 72?
40.0% 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.