Wisconsin truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Wisconsin by year

Annual truck accident deaths were 69 in 2020, 103 in 2021, 92 in 2022, 85 in 2023 and 89 in 2024. Their shares of Wisconsin traffic deaths were 11.3%, 16.6%, 15.2%, 14.5% and 15.0%, respectively. The highest death count and share occurred in 2021; the lowest occurred in 2020. The 2024 count was 20 deaths higher than 2020.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Wisconsin's shares of the national large-truck death total were 1.4% in 2020, 1.8% in 2021, 1.5% in 2022, 1.6% in 2023 and 1.7% in 2024. Across the full period, Wisconsin accounted for 1.6% 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 Wisconsin truck accidents

People in other vehicles accounted for 354 truck accident deaths, or 80.8%. People in the large truck accounted for 57 deaths, or 13.0%. The row labeled "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 27 deaths, or 6.2%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

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

The trucks involved

Wisconsin fatal crashes involved 399 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Of these vehicles, 211 were truck-tractors, representing 52.9% of the large-truck count. The category labeled Single-unit and other large trucks contained 188 trucks. There were 295 large trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, accounting for 73.9%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

The records also identified 17 large trucks as jackknifed and 8 as carrying hazardous materials. Each figure in this section counts trucks, rather than truck accident deaths or fatal crashes. A fatal crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the vehicle counts and crash counts 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 68 in Wisconsin during 2020 through 2024, representing 15.5% of large-truck crash deaths. The interstate figures require an interstate route classification and a readable I-route number in the recorded route identifier.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

No interstate segment met the 20-death threshold for the route table. Its 0 entries accompany that threshold statement; they do not replace the statewide interstate death count. Route columns distinguish large-truck crash deaths from all traffic deaths on a route. Separately, work-zone truck accident deaths totaled 14.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed counties, Milwaukee County had the highest truck accident death count, 24, and the lowest average annual rate, 0.5 per 100,000 residents. Columbia County recorded 20 deaths and a rate of 6.9; Rock County recorded 19 and 2.3; Dane County recorded 17 and 0.6.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Clark County recorded 14 deaths and the highest rate among the listed counties, 8.0. Monroe County also recorded 14 deaths, with a rate of 6.1. These rows are a county subset; rates with 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 Wisconsin compares with the national rate

Wisconsin's average annual truck accident death rate was 1.5 per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024, compared with the national rate of 1.6. The corresponding death counts were 438 in Wisconsin and 27,553 nationally. These are population-based rates for deaths recorded by crash location.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The calculation divides deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates for the period, then multiplies by 100,000. It does not use Wisconsin's separately displayed 2024 population of 5,957,168 as the denominator or adjust for mileage or visitors. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should distinguish these rates from death counts.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Manner of collision and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle collisions accounted for 199 deaths. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 59 and means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; transport includes vehicles stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime truck accident deaths numbered 296; nighttime deaths numbered 139. Urban deaths totaled 110, and rural deaths totaled 328. Separately, crash configuration recorded 50 deaths in single-vehicle crashes, 311 in two-vehicle crashes and 77 in crashes involving three or more vehicles. Configuration is distinct from collision manner.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck occupant deaths by crash configuration

Among people in the large truck who died in Wisconsin, 26 died in single-vehicle crashes and 31 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 people.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

Wisconsin's FARS records cover fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with a death 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 estimates, Vintage 2025, to express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. The separate July 1, 2024 estimate is not the denominator. These rates make no adjustment for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

On related publications

• Wisconsin car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Columbia County, Wisconsin (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)