New York truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in New York by year

Annual truck accident deaths were 114 in 2020, 114 in 2021, 145 in 2022, 120 in 2023 and 117 in 2024. Their shares of all traffic deaths were 10.9%, 9.9%, 12.3%, 10.7% and 10.6%, respectively. Deaths were highest in 2022; 2020 and 2021 tied for lowest. The 2024 count was 3 deaths higher than 2020.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

New York's shares of the national large-truck death total were 2.3% in 2020, 2.0% in 2021, 2.4% in 2022, 2.2% in 2023 and 2.2% in 2024. Across the full period, the state's 610 deaths represented 2.2% of 27,553 nationally. The annual traffic-death share was highest in 2022 and lowest in 2021.^{[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 New York truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 81 deaths, or 13.3%, in New York truck accidents. People in other vehicles accounted for 362 deaths, or 59.3%, the largest person category. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 167 deaths, or 27.4%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The FARS nonoccupant grouping is identified by that quoted label and includes pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and other or unknown nonoccupants. Whether someone was outside a vehicle is not literally what it tests. Occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles, can be included in the other category.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

New York's fatal truck accident records include 595 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors numbered 231, representing 38.8% of those trucks. The single-unit and other large trucks category contained 364 vehicles. These categories describe the trucks involved, rather than the people who died.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Large trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating numbered 381, or 64.0%. Records identified 6 large trucks as jackknifed and 4 as carrying hazardous materials. Every figure in this section counts trucks, not fatal crashes or deaths. A truck accident can involve multiple large trucks, so the vehicle count is a separate measure from the crash count.^{[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 accidents accounted for 133 deaths in New York during 2020 through 2024, representing 21.8% of large-truck crash deaths. The interstate measure uses the recorded interstate route classification and a parseable I-route number.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Among the listed routes, I-87 recorded 32 deaths in large-truck crashes and 96 deaths from all crashes. I-90 recorded 30 and 47, respectively. The all-death figures are distinct from the large-truck figures. These route-coded rows are a supplied subset, not a complete road network. Separately, truck accidents in work zones accounted for 13 deaths.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed counties, Kings County had the highest truck accident death count, 59, with an average annual rate of 0.4 per 100,000 residents. Bronx County recorded 43 deaths and 0.6; Suffolk County recorded 41 and 0.5; Queens County recorded 38 and 0.3.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

St. Lawrence County had the highest listed rate, 2.6, with 14 deaths. Queens County and Westchester County shared the lowest listed rate, 0.3; Westchester County recorded 15 deaths. The rows do not list every county. Small counts make county rates 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 New York compares with the national rate

New York's average annual truck accident death rate was 0.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with the national rate of 1.6. The corresponding death counts for 2020 through 2024 were 610 in New York and 27,553 nationally. These are population-based rates for deaths recorded by crash location.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The denominator sums annual Census population estimates across the period, rather than using only New York's July 1, 2024 estimate of 20,001,419. Rates do not adjust for mileage or visitors. For a reader searching for a truck accident lawyer, the distinction here is between death counts and average annual population-based rates.^{[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" accounted for 238 deaths and means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; vehicles stopped in traffic qualify as in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separate classifications recorded daytime truck accident deaths of 397 versus 213 at nighttime, and urban deaths of 435 versus 175 rural. Crash configuration counted 204 deaths in single-vehicle crashes, 321 in two-vehicle crashes and 85 in crashes involving three or more vehicles. Configuration is distinct 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 New York truck accidents, 56 died in single-vehicle crashes and 25 in multiple-vehicle crashes during 2020 through 2024. These figures describe truck occupants only, a subset distinct from everyone killed in crashes involving large trucks.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

New York's source, NHTSA FARS, is a 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.^[9][6][7][8]

State and county counts follow recorded crash locations, not home addresses. The 2020 through 2023 Final Files are final; the 2024 Annual Report File remains revisable. Rates divide period deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. They measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without mileage or visitor adjustments.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• I-87 truck accidents in New York (2020-2024)
• I-90 truck accidents in New York (2020-2024)

On related publications

• New York car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Kings County, New York (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Bronx County, New York (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Suffolk County, New York (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Queens County, New York (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for New York County, New York (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)