Truck accident statistics for Los Angeles County, California (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Los Angeles County by year

Annual truck accident deaths rose from 57 in 2020 to 67 in 2021, fell to 59 in 2022, and rose to 81 in 2023. The count then fell to 62 in 2024. The highest count was 81 in 2023, and the lowest was 57 in 2020. The 2024 count was 5 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The share of all traffic deaths recorded in truck accidents was 7.5% in 2020, 7.9% in 2021, 6.8% in 2022, 9.6% in 2023 and 8.0% in 2024. All traffic deaths reached their highest count in 2022 at 866; truck accident deaths reached their highest count in 2023.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Los Angeles County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 26 deaths, or 8.0%. People in other vehicles accounted for 220 deaths, or 67.5%, the largest person category for truck accident deaths during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" records 80 deaths, or 24.5%. This is the FARS nonoccupant grouping, covering pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles. The label therefore does not mean that every person counted was physically outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal truck crashes in Los Angeles County involved 321 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, described in the table as semi or tractor-trailer units, accounted for 184 trucks and 57.3% of the large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks accounted for 137 trucks. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 1.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 306 fatal crashes and 326 deaths recorded for the period. A truck accident can involve multiple large trucks, so the truck count is not a count of separate crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

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

How the fatal truck crashes happened

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Rear-end recorded 108 deaths (33.1%); angle (side impact), 60 (18.4%); head-on, 28 (8.6%); and sideswipe, 25 (7.7%). Other recorded 1 death (0.3%), and not reported recorded 1 (0.3%).^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

"Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 103 deaths (31.6%). It means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events such as rollovers or striking pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles or fixed objects. A vehicle stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separate truck accident configuration counts were single-vehicle, 81 deaths (24.8%); two-vehicle, 173 (53.1%); and three or more vehicles, 72 (22.1%). These describe vehicle configuration, separately from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 112, or 34.4%. Interstate classification requires ROUTE=1 and a parseable interstate route number in TWAY_ID. The listed route-coded counts were I-5, 33 deaths; I-10, 21; I-210, 17; and I-405, 10. These routes are a subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime recorded 138 deaths (42.3%), and nighttime recorded 188 (57.7%). Daytime covers 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.; nighttime covers 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. Urban locations recorded 281 deaths (86.2%), rural locations 44 (13.5%), and unreported land use 1 (0.3%). Work-zone records counted 11 deaths, not trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with California and the United States

The Los Angeles County truck accident death rate was 0.7 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. California's rate was 1.1, and the United States rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than both.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, rates were 2.1 in San Bernardino County, 3.4 in Kern County, 0.3 in Orange County and 0.5 in Ventura County. Los Angeles County's rate was lower than San Bernardino County's and Kern County's, and higher than Orange County's and Ventura County's. Kern County had the highest rate among the listed neighboring counties. These rates use annual population estimates and do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

About these figures

FARS is a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with a death within 30 days. It excludes nonfatal crashes and injuries. Counts use crash location, not home address. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should read these counts as crash-location totals.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by summed annual Census population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. The resulting measure is average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the denominator. Rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Kern County, California (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for San Bernardino County, California (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Orange County, California (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Los Angeles County, California (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)