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

Truck accident deaths in Sacramento County by year

Truck accident deaths numbered 14 in 2020 and remained at 14 in 2021, making those the highest years in the series. The count fell to 12 in 2022 and then to 11 in 2023, the lowest year. In 2024, it rose to 13. The 2024 count was 1 death lower than the 2020 count. Across the period, the average was 12.8 deaths per year.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The yearly share of all traffic deaths was 8.8% in 2020, 6.3% in 2021, 5.5% in 2022, 5.3% in 2023 and 8.3% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 159, 222, 217, 209 and 156 in those respective years.^{[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 Sacramento County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 3 deaths, or 4.7%. People in other vehicles accounted for 39 deaths, or 60.9%, the largest person category. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 22 deaths, or 34.4%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label represents the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. It can include occupants of parked motor vehicles, so it is not a literal test of being outside a vehicle. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should read these as person categories within fatal crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal truck crashes in Sacramento County involved 68 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Of those vehicles, 27 were truck-tractors, described in the table as semi or tractor-trailer units. Truck-tractors represented 39.7% of the large trucks counted. Single-unit and other large trucks accounted for 41 vehicles. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Each figure in this section counts trucks. It does not count fatal crashes or people killed. A fatal crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the vehicle figures are distinct from the county's 61 fatal crashes and 64 deaths.^{[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. Angle (side impact) recorded 11 deaths (17.2%), head-on 4 (6.2%), rear-end 18 (28.1%) and sideswipe 6 (9.4%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 25 deaths (39.1%). This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; examples include striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. Vehicles stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separate truck accident configuration figures count deaths by the number of vehicles involved: single-vehicle crashes accounted for 20 deaths (31.2%), two-vehicle crashes for 27 (42.2%), and crashes involving three or more vehicles for 17 (26.6%). These categories are separate from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate-coded truck accident deaths numbered 12, or 18.8%. The listed route counts were 10 deaths on I-5 and 2 on I-80. These figures use the interstate route classification plus a parseable interstate route number. The listed routes are a route-coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 42 deaths (65.6%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 22 (34.4%). Urban locations recorded 48 deaths (75.0%), and rural locations recorded 16 (25.0%). The work-zone figure was 1 death; it counts a person killed, not a truck or a crash.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with California and the United States

Sacramento County's truck accident death rate was 0.8 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. California's rate was 1.1, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than both. The corresponding death counts were 64 for Sacramento County, 2,101 for California and 27,553 for the United States.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, San Joaquin County had a rate of 2.6, Contra Costa County 0.5 and Placer County 1.0. Sacramento County's rate was lower than San Joaquin County's and Placer County's, and higher than Contra Costa County's. These rates use annual Census population estimates to express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. They 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 an occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. It excludes nonfatal crashes and injuries. Truck accident counts use crash county, not the deceased person's residence. The 2020 through 2023 figures use Final Files; 2024 uses the Annual Report File, subject to revision when replaced by the Final File.^[9][6][7][8]

Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. This gives average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjusting for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Contra Costa County, California (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Placer County, California (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for San Joaquin County, California (2020-2024)