Truck accident statistics for Salem County, New Jersey (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Salem County by year

Annual truck accident deaths rose from 3 in 2020 to 6 in 2021, then fell to 5 in 2022. The count remained at 5 in 2023 before falling to 3 in 2024. The highest count was 6 in 2021; the lowest count was 3, recorded in both 2020 and 2024. The 2020 to 2024 change was 0 deaths.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The share of all traffic deaths attributed to truck accidents was 21.4% in 2020, 27.3% in 2021, 25.0% in 2022, 41.7% in 2023 and 18.8% in 2024. Although 2021 had the highest truck accident death count, 2023 had the highest share. All traffic deaths numbered 14, 22, 20, 12 and 16 in the 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 Salem County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 5 deaths, or 22.7%. People in other vehicles accounted for 14 deaths, or 63.6%, the largest person category. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 3 deaths, or 13.6%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label identifies the FARS nonoccupant grouping, which includes pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles. It is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle. These categories describe people killed in truck accidents.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

The vehicle count for Salem County's fatal truck accidents was 19 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) numbered 10, representing 52.6% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 9. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Each figure in the trucks table counts vehicles, rather than fatal crashes or deaths. A crash can involve multiple large trucks. The 19 large trucks and the 19 fatal crashes are separate measures, even though their recorded counts are the same.^{[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 9 deaths (40.9%), head-on for 1 (4.5%), rear-end for 5 (22.7%) and sideswipe for 3 (13.6%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 4 deaths (18.2%). This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, such as striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separate truck accident configuration figures assign 4 deaths (18.2%) to single-vehicle crashes, 15 (68.2%) to two-vehicle crashes and 3 (13.6%) to crashes involving three or more vehicles. These shares classify deaths by vehicle count, separately from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate-coded truck accident deaths numbered 8, representing 36.4% of the county total. The listed route-coded counts were 6 deaths for I-295 and 2 for I-95. 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 recorded 14 deaths (63.6%), while nighttime recorded 8 (36.4%). Urban locations accounted for 9 deaths (40.9%), and rural locations accounted for 13 (59.1%). The work-zone figure was 0 deaths. These road, time and land-use figures count deaths in truck accidents, rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with New Jersey and the United States

Salem County's truck accident death rate was 6.7 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. New Jersey's rate was 0.8, and the United States rate was 1.6. The county rate was higher than both. The corresponding death counts were 22 for Salem County, 377 for New Jersey and 27,553 nationally.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, New Castle County, Delaware, recorded 40 deaths and a rate of 1.4. Gloucester County, New Jersey, recorded 28 deaths and a rate of 1.8. Salem County's rate was higher than each listed neighbor's rate. These population-based rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should keep the crash-location grouping in mind when reading these counts.^{[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. Counts follow crash location, not where those killed 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 summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. They express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustment for miles driven or visitors. The separately displayed July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

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