Metro Atlanta truck crash statistics: Dark, lighted (2020-2024)

Deaths and fatal crashes by year

For 2020, crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta took 3 lives in 3 fatal crashes. The 2021 count for truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta was 14 deaths from 13 fatal crashes. For 2022, crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta took 18 lives in 16 fatal crashes.^[1][2][3]

The 2023 count for truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta was 9 deaths from 8 fatal crashes. For 2024, crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta took 9 lives in 9 fatal crashes.^[4][5]

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MSA (CBSA 12060, 29 counties). Crashes involving a large truck (ACC_AUX A_LT = 1). 2024 is the FARS Annual Report File.

Who died

Of the deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta, 3 were in the "People in the large truck" category, or 5.7% of those deaths. Of the deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta, 36 were in the "People in other vehicles" category, or 67.9% of those deaths. In crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions in metro Atlanta, 14 deaths were in the "Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping)" category, 26.4% of the total for 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

For truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, the FARS nonoccupant grouping is a technical person classification rather than a literal outside-vehicle test, because its other category can include occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles.^[8][9]

How the crashes happened

The manner of collision recorded as "Rear-end" covers 22 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, a share of 41.5%. The manner of collision recorded as "Angle" covers 10 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, a share of 18.9%. The manner of collision recorded as "Head-on" covers 2 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, a share of 3.8%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The manner of collision recorded as "Sideswipe" covers 2 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, a share of 3.8%. The manner of collision recorded as "Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport" covers 17 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, a share of 32.1%. For truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, a motor vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic, so the collision category is not a test of whether another vehicle was physically moving.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][9]}

By time of day, 51 deaths in crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions were recorded under "Nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.)", 96.2% of the metro Atlanta total for this group. By land use, 51 deaths in crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions were recorded under "Urban", 96.2% of the metro Atlanta total for this group. By land use, 2 deaths in crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions were recorded under "Rural", 3.8% of the metro Atlanta total for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

By time of day, 2 deaths in crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions were recorded under "Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.)", 3.8% of the metro Atlanta total for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Where in the metro area

In Gwinnett County, 14 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 26.4% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In DeKalb County, 12 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 22.6% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In Fulton County, 11 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 20.8% of the metro Atlanta count for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

In Clayton County, 4 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 7.5% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In Henry County, 4 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 7.5% of the metro Atlanta count for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Up to 8 counties with 2 or more deaths in this selection, ordered by death count and recorded crash location. Additional qualifying counties can be omitted.

Interstate routes

Interstate route records cover 29 deaths in truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, or 54.7%, under the route-coded interstate definition. On I-285 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions accounted for 9 deaths over 2020 through 2024. On I-85 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions accounted for 8 deaths over 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

On I-75 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions accounted for 7 deaths over 2020 through 2024. On I-20 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions accounted for 4 deaths over 2020 through 2024. The interstate figures for truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions use crashes with the route signing coded Interstate and an I-route number in the trafficway identifier, so they describe recorded route signing rather than a highway's full extent.^{[1][2][3][4][5][9]}

Routes with 2 or more deaths in this selection. Route-coded definition: ROUTE coded Interstate and an I-route number in TWAY_ID.

The trucks involved

The vehicles in crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions included 52 large trucks, and 33 of those were truck-tractors, counts of vehicles rather than deaths. For truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions, a truck-tractor is NCSA body type 66 in the FARS vehicle file, a cab with or without trailing units, and one crash can involve more than one large truck.^{[1][2][3][4][5][9]}

About these figures

Truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions are selected by the light condition recorded for the time of the crash in the FARS accident file, attribute code 3 (Dark, Lighted). The figures for crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which covers crashes involving a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, with a death within 30 days of the crash. The counts for crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions are grouped by the recorded location of the crash, not by where the people killed lived.^[9][10]

The 2024 data for crashes involving a large truck in dark but lighted conditions are the FARS Annual Report File, which is subject to change, and NHTSA calls the later version the Final File. No traffic volume or mileage is divided into the truck crashes in dark but lighted conditions counts, so they record deaths and crashes and make no statement about how likely a crash was.^[9][10]

See also

• Metro Atlanta truck crash statistics: Daylight (2020-2024)
• Metro Atlanta: jurisdictions and records