Truck accident statistics for Berkeley County, South Carolina (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Berkeley County by year

Truck accident deaths fell from 10 in 2020 to 5 in 2021, remained at 5 in 2022, then fell to 4 in 2023. The 2024 count was unchanged at 4. The highest count was in 2020; 2023 and 2024 shared the lowest count. Deaths in 2024 were 6 lower than in 2020.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The annual share of traffic deaths associated with truck accidents followed a different pattern at the end of the period. It fell from 16.7% in 2020 to 15.2% in 2021, 10.2% in 2022 and 6.6% in 2023, before rising to 10.8% in 2024. All traffic deaths fell from 61 in 2023 to 37 in 2024 while truck accident deaths remained unchanged.^{[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 Berkeley County truck accidents

People in other vehicles accounted for 25 deaths, or 89.3%, the largest person category. People in the large truck accounted for 1 death, or 3.6%. These categories identify the people killed in truck accidents, rather than counting the vehicles involved.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 2 deaths, or 7.1%. This is the FARS nonoccupant grouping, covering pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. Despite its wording, the label 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 truck accident vehicle count was 28 large trucks in fatal crashes during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, identified as semi or tractor-trailer units, accounted for 15 trucks and 53.6% of the large trucks recorded. Single-unit and other large trucks accounted for 13 trucks. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These figures count vehicles, not crashes or deaths. A fatal truck crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the 28 large trucks and 25 fatal crashes describe different measures. The truck-tractor share also uses trucks as its denominator.^{[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. Head-on recorded 8 deaths (28.6%), rear-end 7 (25.0%), angle (side impact) 6 (21.4%) and sideswipe 4 (14.3%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 3 (10.7%). That row means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events 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]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were single-vehicle, 1 (3.6%); two-vehicle, 23 (82.1%); and three or more vehicles, 4 (14.3%). Configuration counts vehicles involved and is separate from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 5, or 17.9%. The listed route-coded counts were 4 deaths on I-26 and 1 on I-526. These figures require an interstate route code and a parseable interstate route number; the listed routes are a subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 21 deaths (75.0%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 7 (25.0%). Urban locations recorded 8 deaths (28.6%), while rural locations recorded 20 (71.4%). Work-zone truck accident deaths numbered 3; that figure counts deaths rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

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

Berkeley County's truck accident death rate was 2.3 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. South Carolina's rate was 2.5, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than the state rate and higher than the national rate.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, Orangeburg County had the highest rate at 7.9, Dorchester County recorded 3.1, and Charleston County had the lowest at 1.2. Each rate divides deaths by the sum of annual population estimates and expresses the result per 100,000 residents per year. These rates 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 deceased person's residence.^{[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 dying within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. Counts follow the county where the crash happened, not where the people killed lived.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File figures can change when replaced with the Final File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by the sum of those years' Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the denominator. Rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Charleston County, South Carolina (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Dorchester County, South Carolina (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Orangeburg County, South Carolina (2020-2024)

On related publications

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