Truck accident statistics for Palm Beach County, Florida (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Palm Beach County by year

Truck accident deaths fell from 21 in 2020 to 16 in 2021, then rose to 17 in 2022, 18 in 2023 and 24 in 2024. The highest count was 24 in 2024; the lowest was 16 in 2021. The 2024 count was 3 deaths higher than the 2020 count. Average annual deaths during the period were 19.2.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The share of all traffic deaths occurring in truck accidents followed a different pattern: 11.4% in 2020, 7.4% in 2021, 7.3% in 2022, 9.3% in 2023 and 11.2% in 2024. The highest share was in 2020, while the lowest was in 2022. These percentages describe deaths, rather than the share of crashes involving trucks.^{[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 Palm Beach County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 18 deaths, or 18.8%. People in other vehicles accounted for 60 deaths, or 62.5%, the largest share of truck accident deaths. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 18 deaths, or 18.8%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label represents the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. Its other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles, so the label is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle. These categories describe people killed in the crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

The truck accident vehicle records list 98 large trucks in fatal crashes during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) numbered 46 and represented 46.9% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 52. Large trucks recorded as jackknifed numbered 4.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Each figure in the trucks table counts vehicles. A truck crash can involve multiple large trucks, so these figures should not be read as counts of separate crashes or people killed. The truck-tractor percentage likewise describes the large trucks involved, rather than the distribution of 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 28 deaths (29.2%), head-on 2 (2.1%), rear-end 27 (28.1%) and sideswipe 5 (5.2%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 34 deaths (35.4%). This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; examples include striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. A vehicle stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by vehicle configuration were 21 (21.9%) in single-vehicle crashes, 56 (58.3%) in two-vehicle crashes and 19 (19.8%) in crashes involving three or more vehicles. Configuration counts vehicles involved; it is separate from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 18, or 18.8%, with 18 recorded for I-95. These figures require ROUTE=1 and a parseable interstate route number in TWAY_ID. The listed route is 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 55 deaths (57.3%); nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 41 (42.7%). Urban locations recorded 77 deaths (80.2%), and rural locations recorded 19 (19.8%). Work-zone deaths numbered 3. These road, time and land-use figures describe deaths in truck accidents, rather than counts of trucks or fatal crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Florida and the United States

Palm Beach County's truck accident death rate was 1.3 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Florida's rate was 1.6, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than both. Neighboring Broward County recorded a rate of 0.8, lower than Palm Beach County's 1.3.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The corresponding death counts were 96 for Palm Beach County, 1,780 for Florida, 27,553 for the United States and 78 for Broward County. Rates use annual Census population estimates and do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should read these as crash-location statistics, not counts grouped by the home addresses of those 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 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 dying 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 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 separately shown July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Broward County, Florida (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Palm Beach County, Florida (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)