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

Truck accident deaths in Charleston County by year

Truck accident deaths numbered 7 in 2020, 2 in 2021, 7 in 2022, 3 in 2023 and 7 in 2024. The highest count was shared by 2020, 2022 and 2024, while 2021 had the lowest count. The 2020 and 2024 counts were the same, with a change of 0 deaths between those endpoints. The average was 5.2 deaths per year.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The share of all traffic deaths attributed to truck accidents also varied: 9.6% in 2020, 2.6% in 2021, 10.9% in 2022, 4.0% in 2023 and 11.5% in 2024. Although 2020 and 2024 recorded the same truck accident death count, their all-traffic-death totals were 73 and 61, respectively.^{[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 Charleston County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 4 deaths, or 15.4%. People in other vehicles accounted for 12 deaths, or 46.2%, the largest person category. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" accounted for 10 deaths, or 38.5%, in Charleston County truck accidents from 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label represents the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles. It therefore should not be read as a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal truck accidents in Charleston County involved 23 large trucks from 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, described in the table as semi or tractor-trailer units, accounted for 7 trucks and 30.4% of the large trucks recorded. Single-unit and other large trucks accounted for 16 trucks. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 23 fatal crashes and 26 deaths in the county's truck accident figures. A crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the trucks table measures vehicles involved rather than crashes or people killed.^{[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 (26.9%), head-on for 4 (15.4%), rear-end for 3 (11.5%) and sideswipe for 1 (3.8%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 11 deaths (42.3%). This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events involving pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, fixed objects or rollovers. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separate crash-configuration figures classify truck accident deaths by the number of vehicles involved. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 11 deaths (42.3%), two-vehicle crashes for 10 (38.5%) and crashes involving three or more vehicles for 5 (19.2%).^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 5, representing 19.2% of the county's total. The listed route-coded counts were 3 deaths for I-26 and 2 for I-526. These figures require interstate route coding and a parseable interstate route number; the listed routes are a subset rather than a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 16 deaths (61.5%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 10 (38.5%). Urban classifications recorded 19 deaths (73.1%), while rural classifications recorded 7 (26.9%). The work-zone count was 0 deaths. These breakdowns describe deaths in truck accidents, not counts of trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

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

Charleston County's truck accident death rate was 1.2 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 both. Among the listed neighboring counties, Berkeley County recorded a rate of 2.3 and Dorchester County recorded 3.1. Charleston County's rate was also lower than each of those rates.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

These rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates and express the result per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, the counts here are grouped by crash location, not by where those killed 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

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. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. County counts use the crash location, not the home address of anyone killed.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File figures 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 and multiply by 100,000. The separately displayed 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 Berkeley County, South Carolina (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Dorchester County, South Carolina (2020-2024)

On related publications

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