Truck accident statistics for Wake County, North Carolina (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Wake County by year

Truck accident deaths fell from 6 in 2020 to 5 in 2021, remained at 5 in 2022, rose to 10 in 2023, and fell to 7 in 2024. The highest count was 10 in 2023. The lowest count, 5, occurred in both 2021 and 2022. The 2024 count was 1 death higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The annual share of all traffic deaths attributed to truck accidents was 9.2% in 2020, 5.8% in 2021, 5.2% in 2022, 9.9% in 2023, and 8.4% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 65, 86, 97, 101, and 83 in those respective years. These annual counts describe deaths in crashes occurring within the county.^{[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 Wake County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 5 deaths, or 15.2%. People in other vehicles accounted for 23 deaths, or 69.7%, the majority of truck accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. These categories identify the people killed, rather than counting the vehicles involved.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 5 deaths, or 15.2%. This is 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.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal truck accidents in Wake County involved 32 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, identified in the table as semi or tractor-trailer units, numbered 7 and represented 21.9% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 25. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 30 fatal crashes and 33 deaths recorded for the period. A truck accident can involve multiple large trucks. The truck-tractor share describes the large trucks involved, rather than a share of crashes or 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. Rear-end collisions accounted for 9 deaths (27.3%), angle (side impact) for 7 (21.2%), head-on for 7 (21.2%), and sideswipe for 2 (6.1%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 8 (24.2%). That row 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]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were single-vehicle, 5 (15.2%); two-vehicle, 18 (54.5%); and three or more vehicles, 10 (30.3%). Configuration counts vehicles involved rather than describing the first harmful event.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 10, or 30.3%. The listed route-coded counts were 6 deaths on I-40, 3 on I-440, and 1 on I-540. 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 accounted for 20 deaths (60.6%), and nighttime accounted for 13 (39.4%). Urban locations recorded 19 deaths (57.6%), while rural locations recorded 14 (42.4%). Work-zone deaths numbered 4. Each of these counts measures deaths in truck accidents, rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with North Carolina and the United States

Wake County's truck accident death rate was 0.6 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. North Carolina's rate was 1.7, and the United States rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than both. Johnston County, the listed neighboring county, had a rate of 2.4 and recorded 28 deaths during the period.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates and express the result per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, the grouping to remember is crash location: the county figures count deaths where crashes happened, not where the people lived.^{[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

NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System 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. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. County counts use crash location, not the deceased person's residence.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 records are 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 separately shown July 1, 2024 population estimate is not that denominator. Rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Johnston County, North Carolina (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Wake County, North Carolina (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)