Truck accident statistics for New Castle County, Delaware (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in New Castle County by year

Truck accident deaths fell from 9 in 2020 to 8 in 2021, then rose to 14 in 2022. The count fell to 6 in 2023 and to 3 in 2024. The highest count was in 2022, and the lowest was in 2024. The 2024 count was 6 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The share of all traffic deaths attributed to truck accidents followed the same sequence: 14.5% in 2020, 11.4% in 2021, 16.7% in 2022, 10.2% in 2023 and 4.9% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 62, 70, 84, 59 and 61 in those respective years. These annual figures count deaths by crash location.^{[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 New Castle County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 3 deaths, or 7.5%. People in other vehicles accounted for 30 deaths, or 75.0%, the largest person category for truck accident deaths. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" accounted for 7 deaths, or 17.5%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants are included in the FARS nonoccupant grouping represented by that quoted label. Occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles, can fall within the other category. Whether someone was outside a vehicle is not literally what the grouping tests.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal crashes involved 35 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) numbered 18, accounting for 51.4% of those trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 17. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 34 fatal crashes and 40 truck accident deaths. A crash can involve multiple large trucks, so a truck count is not a crash count. When reading with "truck accident lawyer" in mind, keep the vehicle, crash and death labels separate.^{[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) accounted for 7 deaths, head-on for 3, rear-end for 13 and sideswipe for 4. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 13 deaths. This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, such as a pedestrian, cyclist, parked-vehicle or fixed-object impact, or a rollover. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were single-vehicle: 7, or 17.5%; two-vehicle: 28, or 70.0%; and three or more vehicles: 5, or 12.5%. These shares describe vehicle involvement, distinct from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate-coded truck accident deaths numbered 13, or 32.5%. The listed route counts were 10 deaths for I-95 and 3 for I-495. These figures require ROUTE=1 and a parseable interstate route number in TWAY_ID; 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 20 deaths, or 50.0%. Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., also accounted for 20 deaths, or 50.0%. Urban locations recorded 33 deaths, or 82.5%, and rural locations recorded 7, or 17.5%. Work-zone truck accident deaths numbered 2; that figure counts deaths rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Delaware and the United States

New Castle County's truck accident death rate was 1.4 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Delaware's rate was also 1.4, while the national rate was 1.6. The reported county and state rates were both 1.4 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents, below the reported national rate of 1.6.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, Gloucester County, New Jersey, had a rate of 1.8; Chester County, Pennsylvania, had 0.8; and Salem County, New Jersey, had 6.7. Salem had the highest rate and Chester the lowest among the listed neighboring counties. These rates use deaths at crash locations and annual Census population estimates. 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. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Counts follow the county where the crash occurred, not where the person lived. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File can change when replaced by 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. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate of 586,014 is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Gloucester County, New Jersey (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Salem County, New Jersey (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Chester County, Pennsylvania (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for New Castle County, Delaware (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)