Iowa truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Iowa by year

Annual truck accident deaths were 71 in 2020, 67 in 2021, 78 in 2022, 78 in 2023 and 58 in 2024. Their shares of Iowa traffic deaths were 20.7%, 18.8%, 23.2%, 20.6% and 16.3%, respectively. The highest death count was shared by 2022 and 2023; 2024 had the lowest. The 2024 count was 13 deaths lower than 2020.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Iowa's shares of national large-truck deaths were 1.4%, 1.2%, 1.3%, 1.4% and 1.1% in chronological order. The highest share was tied in 2020 and 2023. Across 2020 through 2024, Iowa accounted for 1.3% of the national total of 27,553 deaths. The 2024 figures remain subject to revision.^{[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 Iowa truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 85 deaths, or 24.1%, while people in other vehicles accounted for 249, or 70.7%. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 18 deaths, or 5.1%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label identifies the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. It is not a literal test of being outside a vehicle: the other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles. People in other vehicles had the largest death count among the listed rows.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal crashes in Iowa involved 348 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors accounted for 227 of those trucks, or 65.2%. The single-unit and other large trucks category recorded 121. These are vehicle counts rather than counts of truck accident deaths or fatal crashes; multiple large trucks can be involved in a crash.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

There were 278 large trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, representing 79.9% of the large trucks counted. Records identified 15 large trucks as jackknifed and 6 as carrying hazardous materials. Each figure describes trucks involved in fatal crashes, rather than the number of people killed.^{[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 in Iowa numbered 71 during 2020 through 2024, accounting for 20.2% of the state's large-truck crash deaths. The interstate figures use the recorded route classification and a parseable interstate route number.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

For the listed route, I-80, records show 45 deaths in large-truck crashes and 94 deaths across all crashes on that route. Those measures have different scopes. The route table presents a route-coded subset, not the full road network. Separately, work-zone records counted 18 deaths in truck accidents, rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed rows, Polk County had the highest truck accident death count, 22, followed by Linn County with 16 and Dallas County with 14. Their respective average annual rates per 100,000 residents were 0.9, 1.4 and 2.6. Lee County and Pottawattamie County each recorded 12 deaths, with rates of 7.3 and 2.6.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Poweshiek County and Iowa County shared the highest listed rate, 9.7, with 9 and 8 deaths, respectively. These rows are a county subset. Rates based on small death counts are sensitive to each death.^{[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 Iowa compares with the national rate

Iowa's average annual truck accident death rate was 2.2 per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024, compared with the national rate of 1.6. The corresponding death counts were 352 for Iowa and 27,553 for the United States. Iowa's rate was higher on this population-based measure.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The denominator sums annual Census Bureau population estimates across the period; it is not the latest population alone. Iowa's separately reported July 1, 2024 estimate was 3,230,454. Neither mileage nor visitors are adjustments in these rates. A reader searching for a truck accident lawyer should keep these population rates distinct from death counts.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Manner of collision and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle collisions recorded 132 deaths. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 82; this means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, which can include a vehicle stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime recorded 240 truck accident deaths and nighttime 112; urban locations recorded 72 and rural locations 280. Separately, crash configuration counted 71 deaths in single-vehicle crashes, 243 in two-vehicle crashes and 38 in crashes involving three or more vehicles. Configuration counts vehicles involved, rather than describing collision manner.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck occupant deaths by crash configuration

Among people in the large truck who died in Iowa during 2020 through 2024, 56 died in single-vehicle crashes and 29 in multiple-vehicle crashes. These figures describe truck occupants only. They are a subset of truck accident deaths, which also include people in other categories.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

Iowa's records come from FARS, NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county counts follow crash location, not residence.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates divide deaths by summed annual Census Vintage 2025 population estimates and multiply by 100,000. They use neither the separately displayed July 1, 2024 population alone nor mileage or visitor adjustments.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• I-80 truck accidents in Iowa (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Iowa car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Polk County, Iowa (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)