California truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in California by year

Truck accident deaths numbered 411 in 2020, 462 in 2021, 442 in 2022, 395 in 2023 and 391 in 2024. Their respective shares of California traffic deaths were 10.3%, 10.2%, 9.7%, 9.5% and 10.1%. Deaths were highest in 2021 and lowest in 2024. The 2024 count was 20 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

California's annual shares of the national large-truck death total were 8.3%, 7.9%, 7.4%, 7.2% and 7.3%, respectively. Across 2020 through 2024, the state accounted for 7.6% of the national total of 27,553 deaths. The share of California traffic deaths involving trucks was highest in 2020 and lowest in 2023.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.

Who died in California truck accidents

People in other vehicles accounted for 1,543 truck accident deaths, or 73.4%, while people in the large truck accounted for 194 deaths, or 9.2%. The row labeled "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 364 deaths, or 17.3%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label represents the FARS nonoccupant grouping: pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and other or unknown nonoccupants. It is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle. The other nonoccupant category can include occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, including parked vehicles.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

California fatal crash records included 2,022 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors accounted for 1,191 of those trucks, or 58.9%. The category labeled single-unit and other large trucks contained 831 trucks. Separately, 1,376 large trucks had a gross vehicle weight rating over 26,000 pounds, representing 68.1% of the large trucks counted.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Records identified 36 large trucks as jackknifed and 74 as carrying hazardous materials. Every figure in this section counts trucks, rather than crashes or people killed. A truck accident can involve multiple large trucks, so the vehicle count and the fatal crash count describe different measures.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Counts are trucks, not crashes. One crash can involve more than one large truck.

Interstates and crash types

Interstate truck accident deaths totaled 472, representing 22.5% of California's large-truck crash deaths. The listed route counts were I-5 with 158, I-15 with 69, I-10 with 66, I-215 with 30 and I-80 with 28.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

All traffic deaths on those routes were 805, 365, 373, 118 and 259, respectively; those figures are distinct from the large-truck death counts. These listed routes form a route-coded subset, not a complete road network. Separately, work-zone records counted 95 deaths in large-truck crashes during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed counties, Los Angeles County had the highest truck accident death count at 326, followed by San Bernardino County at 232. Their average annual deaths per 100,000 residents were 0.7 and 2.1, respectively. Riverside County recorded 157 deaths and a rate of 1.3; Kern County recorded 154 and 3.4.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed rows, Kings County had the highest rate, 4.4, with 34 deaths. Orange County had the lowest rate, 0.3, with 49 deaths. The county rows are a subset of California counties.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.

How California compares with the national rate

California's average annual truck accident death rate was 1.1 per 100,000 residents, compared with the national rate of 1.6. The death counts used were 2,101 for California and 27,553 for the United States during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Each rate divides deaths by the summed annual Census population estimates for the period, then multiplies by 100,000. California's separately displayed 2024 population of 39,364,774 is not the denominator. The calculation makes no adjustment for miles driven or visitors. For a reader searching for a truck accident lawyer, these rates still group deaths by crash location, not residence.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Manner of collision and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 559 deaths and means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; vehicles stopped in traffic remain in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime accounted for 1,114 deaths and nighttime for 985. Urban records counted 1,162 deaths; rural records counted 935. Separately, crash configuration counted 427 deaths in single-vehicle crashes, 1,228 in two-vehicle crashes and 446 in crashes involving three or more vehicles. Configuration describes vehicle numbers, a distinct classification from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck occupant deaths by crash configuration

Among people in the large truck who died in California, 125 died in single-vehicle crashes and 69 in multiple-vehicle crashes during 2020 through 2024. These figures describe truck occupants only. They are a subset of truck accident deaths, which also include other vehicle occupants and nonoccupants.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

California's FARS records cover fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with an occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county assignments follow crash location, not where those killed lived.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates use summed annual Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates, multiplied by 100,000 after dividing deaths by that denominator. They do not adjust for mileage or visitors; the separately shown July 1, 2024 population is not that denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• I-10 truck accidents in California (2020-2024)
• I-15 truck accidents in California (2020-2024)
• I-215 truck accidents in California (2020-2024)
• I-5 truck accidents in California (2020-2024)

On related publications

• California car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Los Angeles County, California (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for San Bernardino County, California (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Riverside County, California (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Kern County, California (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Fresno County, California (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)