Washington truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Washington by year

Annual truck accident deaths were 62 in 2020, 89 in 2021, 86 in 2022, 78 in 2023 and 74 in 2024. Their shares of Washington traffic deaths were 10.8%, 13.2%, 11.6%, 9.6% and 10.1%, respectively. Deaths were highest in 2021 and lowest in 2020; the share was highest in 2021 and lowest in 2023.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The 2024 death count was 12 higher than 2020. Washington's share of national large-truck deaths was 1.3% in 2020, 1.5% in 2021 and 1.4% in each year from 2022 through 2024. Across the period, Washington accounted for 1.4% of the national total of 27,553 deaths in large-truck crashes.^{[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 Washington truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 58 deaths, or 14.9%; people in other vehicles accounted for 276, or 71.0%. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 55 deaths, or 14.1%. These categories describe people killed in Washington truck accidents during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

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

The trucks involved

Washington's fatal truck accident records counted 376 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors accounted for 196 vehicles, or 52.1%, while the single-unit and other large trucks category contained 180. These are vehicle counts: a fatal crash can involve multiple large trucks, so they do not represent numbers of crashes or people killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Large trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating numbered 247, representing 65.7% of the large trucks counted. The records listed 0 large trucks as jackknifed and 12 as carrying hazardous materials. For 2024, NHTSA's published large-truck count for fatal crashes in Washington was 71.^{[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 Washington totaled 84 during 2020 through 2024, representing 21.6% of deaths in large-truck crashes. Within the listed route-coded subset, I-5 recorded 47 deaths in large-truck crashes. The separate figure of 227 covers all traffic deaths coded to I-5, rather than only those involving a large truck.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The listed route is a subset of the route-coded records, not a complete road network inventory. Work-zone records counted 12 deaths in large-truck crashes during the period. That measure counts people killed, not trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed counties, King County had the highest truck accident death count at 70, with an average annual rate of 0.6 per 100,000 residents. Pierce County recorded 39 and 0.8; Yakima County, 34 and 2.6; Grant County, 32 and 6.3; and Spokane County, 28 and 1.0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

For that rate measure, Adams County ranked highest among the listed counties at 7.7, while Snohomish County ranked lowest at 0.4. The county rows are a 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 Washington compares with the national rate

Washington's average annual truck accident death rate was 1.0 per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024, below the national rate of 1.6. The respective death counts were 389 and 27,553. Both rates use deaths divided by summed annual population estimates for the period, multiplied by 100,000.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The separately displayed Washington population estimate of 7,927,958 for July 1, 2024 is not the denominator. Neither rate adjusts for miles driven or visitors. When reading these figures alongside the phrase truck accident lawyer, keep the population-based rate distinct from the death count and the fatal-crash count.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Manner of collision and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle collisions recorded 111 deaths. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 108 and means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; a vehicle stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separate truck accident classifications recorded daytime deaths of 253 and nighttime deaths of 136; urban deaths were 182, rural deaths 205 and unreported land use 2. Crash configuration separately counted 82 single-vehicle deaths, 238 two-vehicle deaths and 69 deaths in crashes involving three or more vehicles.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck occupant deaths by crash configuration

Among people in the large truck who died in Washington during 2020 through 2024, 34 died in single-vehicle crashes and 24 in multiple-vehicle crashes. This truck accident subset concerns truck occupants alone; it does not include all people killed in crashes involving large trucks.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

Washington's figures use 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 assignments 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 use summed annual Census Vintage 2025 populations, not the separate July 1, 2024 estimate, and express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without mileage or visitor adjustments.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• I-5 truck accidents in Washington (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Washington car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for King County, Washington (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Pierce County, Washington (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Yakima County, Washington (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Grant County, Washington (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Spokane County, Washington (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)