| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Route segment | I-85 in North Carolina[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in large-truck crashes, 2020-2024 | 54[1][2][3][4][5] |
| All deaths on the route segment, 2020-2024 | 194[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Share of segment deaths in large-truck crashes | 27.8%[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Fatal crashes involving large trucks, 2020-2024 | 49[1][2][3][4][5] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
I-85 in North Carolina recorded 54 deaths in large-truck crashes during 2020 to 2024, accounting for 27.8% of the 194 deaths assigned to the route in the state. Those large-truck deaths occurred in 49 fatal crashes. The truck accident death count includes everyone killed in the qualifying crashes, rather than only people occupying large trucks. Deaths and fatal crashes are separate measures: a crash can involve multiple large trucks and multiple deaths.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
For these I-85 truck accident statistics, a large truck is a medium or heavy truck with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds; buses and motor homes are excluded. Assignment to I-85 in North Carolina uses the crash-level route fields: ROUTE=1 and a parseable I-route number in TWAY_ID. These identify route signing and the recorded crash location, rather than describing the highway's full geographic extent.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
I-85 truck accident deaths in North Carolina by year
Annual truck accident deaths on North Carolina's I-85 segment rose from 11 in 2020 to 14 in 2021, then fell to 8 in 2022. They rose to 12 in 2023 before falling to 9 in 2024. The highest large-truck death count was 14 in 2021; the lowest was 8 in 2022. Neither extreme was tied.[1][2][3][4][5]
All deaths assigned to the route rose from 29 in 2020 to 49 in 2021, then fell to 42 in 2022, 38 in 2023 and 36 in 2024. This measure also reached its highest count in 2021, but its lowest count occurred in 2020. The annual columns distinguish deaths in crashes involving large trucks from all deaths assigned to I-85 in North Carolina.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in large-truck crashes | All deaths on the route |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11 | 29 |
| 2021 | 14 | 49 |
| 2022 | 8 | 42 |
| 2023 | 12 | 38 |
| 2024 | 9 | 36 |
Crashes are placed on the route by the trafficway identifier recorded for each fatal crash. 2024 is the Annual Report File.
Counties along I-85 in North Carolina
Truck accident deaths occurred in 13 counties on the segment. Among the listed rows, Mecklenburg County had the highest count, 12 deaths, and share, 22.2%. Guilford County and Rowan County each recorded 6 deaths and 11.1%; Granville County and Gaston County each recorded 5 and 9.3%.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Davidson County and Cabarrus County each had 4 deaths and 7.4%. Cleveland County and Orange County each had 3 and 5.6%. Warren County recorded 2 and 3.7%, the lowest count and share among the listed rows. Shares refer to North Carolina's I-85 large-truck death total. These county figures identify recorded crash locations, not where the people who died lived.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| County | Deaths in large-truck crashes, 2020-2024 | Share of the route total in the state |
|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 12 | 22.2% |
| Guilford County | 6 | 11.1% |
| Rowan County | 6 | 11.1% |
| Granville County | 5 | 9.3% |
| Gaston County | 5 | 9.3% |
| Davidson County | 4 | 7.4% |
| Cabarrus County | 4 | 7.4% |
| Cleveland County | 3 | 5.6% |
| Orange County | 3 | 5.6% |
| Warren County | 2 | 3.7% |
How the truck crashes on I-85 happened
Rear-end crashes accounted for 27 truck accident deaths, or 50.0%. Head-on crashes accounted for 4 and 7.4%; angle (side impact) and sideswipe crashes each accounted for 1 and 1.9%. The row "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 21 deaths and 38.9%. It means the first harmful event was not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport. Examples include a rollover or striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object. A vehicle stopped in traffic can be in transport.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) recorded 26 deaths, or 48.1%; nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) recorded 28, or 51.9%. Urban locations recorded 41 deaths and 75.9%; rural locations recorded 13 and 24.1%. Work-zone deaths numbered 4. These I-85 figures for North Carolina count deaths, not trucks or fatal crashes.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
I-85 in other states
Across I-85, the supplied route-wide count was 160 deaths in large-truck crashes during 2020 to 2024, with deaths recorded in 5 states. North Carolina's segment accounted for 33.8% of that route-wide total, with 54 deaths. The route total is supplied separately from the other-state rows.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Georgia recorded 55 truck accident deaths on its I-85 segment, while South Carolina recorded 28. Among the listed other-state rows, Georgia had the highest death count and South Carolina the lowest. Those rows are a subset of the route's state segments. The counts describe fatal crash outcomes by location; they are not traffic-adjusted risk rankings and cannot establish relative risk per trip or mile.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
About these figures
North Carolina's I-85 truck accident figures come from NHTSA's FARS, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Eligibility requires a motor vehicle on a trafficway customarily open to the public and a death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county counts follow crash locations, not residences.[8][6][7]
For I-85 in North Carolina, crash-level ROUTE and TWAY_ID fields establish route assignment, without describing the highway's full geographic extent. Truck involvement does not establish fault. If reading with "truck accident lawyer" in mind, retain that distinction. The 2020 to 2023 figures use Final Files; 2024 uses the Annual Report File and can change when NHTSA replaces it with the Final File.[8][6][7]
See also
- North Carolina truck accident statistics (2020-2024)
- I-85 truck accidents in South Carolina (2020-2024)
On related publications
- Truck accident statistics for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
- Truck accident statistics for Rowan County, North Carolina (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
- Truck accident statistics for Guilford County, North Carolina (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
References
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstu "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghij "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcd "Large trucks: 2024 data (DOT HS 813 816, June 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- ab "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record