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

Truck accident deaths in Dorchester County by year

Truck accident deaths fell from 8 in 2020 to 7 in 2021, then to 3 in 2022 and 2 in 2023. The count rose to 6 in 2024. The highest count was in 2020, and the lowest was in 2023. Comparing the endpoints, the 2024 count was 2 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The annual truck accident share of all traffic deaths followed the same direction: 33.3% in 2020, 26.9% in 2021, 15.0% in 2022, 13.3% in 2023 and 15.8% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 24, 26, 20, 15 and 38 in those respective years. Although truck accident deaths were highest in 2020, all traffic deaths were highest in 2024.^{[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 Dorchester County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 3 deaths, or 11.5%. People in other vehicles accounted for 21 deaths, or 80.8%, the largest share of truck accident deaths. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 2 deaths, or 7.7%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

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

The trucks involved

The trucks table records 21 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in Dorchester County from 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, identified as semi or tractor-trailer units, numbered 8 and represented 38.1% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 13. Large trucks recorded as jackknifed numbered 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These truck accident figures count vehicles, rather than crashes or deaths. A fatal crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the vehicle counts describe a different measure from the number of fatal crashes and the number of 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) recorded 9 deaths; head-on, 4; rear-end, 4; sideswipe, 3; and Other, 2. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 4 deaths. That label means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events involving a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle, fixed object or rollover. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by vehicle configuration were single-vehicle, 4 (15.4%); two-vehicle, 15 (57.7%); and three or more vehicles, 7 (26.9%). These shares describe the number of vehicles involved, a classification separate from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 7, or 26.9%. The listed route-coded counts were 5 deaths for I-95 and 2 for I-26. These figures require an interstate route code and a readable interstate route number; the listed routes represent the packet's route-coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime recorded 17 deaths (65.4%), while nighttime recorded 9 (34.6%). Urban locations recorded 4 deaths (15.4%), and rural locations recorded 22 (84.6%). Work-zone truck accident deaths numbered 0. Each of these location and time figures counts deaths, rather than trucks or fatal crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

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

Dorchester County's truck accident death rate was 3.1 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. That was higher than South Carolina's 2.5 and the national rate of 1.6. The corresponding death counts were 26 for the county, 664 for the state and 27,553 for the United States.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, Orangeburg County had the highest rate at 7.9, followed by Berkeley County at 2.3 and Charleston County at 1.2. Dorchester County's rate was lower than Orangeburg County's and higher than Berkeley County's and Charleston County's. These rates use annual Census population estimates to express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^{[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 a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with an occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. It excludes nonfatal crashes and injuries. For readers searching "truck accident lawyer," these counts group deaths by crash county, not residence.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report 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 separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the denominator. Rates express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustments 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 Charleston County, South Carolina (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Orangeburg County, South Carolina (2020-2024)