Truck accident statistics for Chester County, Pennsylvania (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Chester County by year

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

The annual shares of all traffic deaths were 9.1% in 2020, 26.5% in 2021, 3.8% in 2022, 15.2% in 2023 and 16.7% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 33, 34, 26, 33 and 24 in those respective years. Although truck accident deaths fell from 2023 to 2024, their share of all traffic deaths rose.^{[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 Chester County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 3 deaths, or 13.6%, while People in other vehicles accounted for 19 deaths, or 86.4%. People in other vehicles represented the majority of truck accident deaths in Chester County during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 0 deaths and 0.0%. This label identifies the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. It is not a literal test of being outside a vehicle: the other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

The vehicle table records 22 large trucks in fatal crashes in Chester County from 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) numbered 6, representing 27.3% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 16. Large trucks recorded as jackknifed numbered 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the truck accident death count and the fatal crash count. A crash can involve multiple large trucks. The 27.3% figure describes the truck-tractor share of large trucks in fatal crashes, rather than a share of deaths or crashes.^{[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 (31.8%), head-on for 2 (9.1%), rear-end for 5 (22.7%) and sideswipe for 5 (22.7%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 3 deaths (13.6%). It means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, such as a rollover or striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object. 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, 2 (9.1%); two-vehicle, 14 (63.6%); and three or more vehicles, 6 (27.3%). These categories describe vehicle involvement rather than manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate-coded truck accident deaths numbered 1, or 4.5%, with I-76 recording 1 death. 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 (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) accounted for 15 deaths, or 68.2%; nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 7 deaths, or 31.8%. Urban locations recorded 17 deaths (77.3%), and rural locations recorded 5 (22.7%). Work-zone deaths numbered 0. The time, land-use and work-zone figures count deaths in fatal crashes involving large trucks, rather than trucks.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Pennsylvania and the United States

Chester County's truck accident death rate was 0.8 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Pennsylvania's rate was 1.3, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than both. These rates divide deaths by the sum of annual population estimates; they do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania had the highest rate at 1.8, while Montgomery County, Pennsylvania had the lowest at 0.6. New Castle County, Delaware and Berks County, Pennsylvania each had a rate of 1.4. Chester County's rate was lower than Lancaster, New Castle and Berks counties' rates and higher than Montgomery County's rate.^{[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 counts fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public when an occupant or nonoccupant dies within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. Counts follow crash location, not the deceased person's residence. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should read these figures as crash-location counts.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files; the 2024 Annual Report File figures can change with the Final File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 and multiply by 100,000. They express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjusting for miles driven or visitors. The separately shown 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 Berks County, Pennsylvania (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (2020-2024)