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

Truck accident deaths in Santa Clara County by year

Truck accident deaths fell from 10 in 2020 to 6 in 2021, rose to 8 in 2022, and fell to 5 in 2023. The count then rose to 12 in 2024, the highest yearly count in the period. The lowest count was in 2023. Comparing the endpoints, the 2024 count was 2 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The corresponding shares of all traffic deaths were 8.5% in 2020, 4.7% in 2021, 7.1% in 2022, 4.0% in 2023 and 12.0% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 117, 129, 113, 125 and 100 in those respective years. These annual figures distinguish deaths in truck accidents from the county's full traffic death count.^{[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 Santa Clara County truck accidents

People in other vehicles accounted for 25 deaths, or 61.0% of truck accident deaths, the largest person category. People in the large truck accounted for 3 deaths, or 7.3%. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" accounted for 13 deaths, or 31.7%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label represents the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles. It therefore does not apply a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

The vehicle records identify 39 large trucks in fatal crashes in Santa Clara County during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, described as semi or tractor-trailer units, numbered 17 and represented 43.6% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 22. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 1.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These truck accident figures count vehicles. They are distinct from the 39 fatal crashes and 41 deaths recorded for the period. A crash can involve multiple large trucks, so a truck count should not be read as a count of crashes or people killed.^{[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 truck accident deaths numbered 12 (29.3%); angle (side impact), 6 (14.6%); head-on, 5 (12.2%); and sideswipe, 2 (4.9%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 16 deaths (39.0%). This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, with examples including a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle, fixed object or rollover. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The separate crash configuration figures classify deaths by vehicle count: single-vehicle crashes accounted for 14 deaths (34.1%), two-vehicle crashes for 16 (39.0%), and crashes involving three or more vehicles for 11 (26.8%). These shares describe configuration rather than manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 2, representing 4.9% of the county count. The listed route-coded counts were 1 death on I-880 and 1 on I-680. These figures require an interstate route classification and a parseable interstate route number; the listed routes are a coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime, defined as 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 24 deaths (58.5%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 17 (41.5%). Urban locations accounted for 32 deaths (78.0%), and rural locations for 9 (22.0%). The work-zone count was 0 deaths, a measure of people killed rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with California and the United States

Santa Clara County's truck accident death rate was 0.4 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. Among the listed neighboring counties, Stanislaus County recorded 2.6, Merced County recorded 3.6 and Alameda County recorded 0.4. Santa Clara County's rate matched Alameda County's and was lower than the rates for Stanislaus and Merced counties.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

These rates use deaths at the crash location and annual population estimates. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, the grouping to keep in mind is crash location, not the residence of the person killed.^{[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 NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. County counts use crash location, not where those killed lived.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files; 2024 uses the Annual Report File and may change with the Final File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. This gives average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustment for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Alameda County, California (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Stanislaus County, California (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Merced County, California (2020-2024)

On related publications

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