Metro Atlanta truck crash statistics: Interstate (ROUTE 1 plus I-route TWAY_ID) (2020-2024)

Deaths and fatal crashes by year

For 2020, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes in metro Atlanta took 42 lives in 35 fatal crashes. The 2021 count for truck crashes on interstate routes in metro Atlanta was 24 deaths from 24 fatal crashes. For 2022, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes in metro Atlanta took 44 lives in 37 fatal crashes.^[1][2][3]

The 2023 count for truck crashes on interstate routes in metro Atlanta was 32 deaths from 27 fatal crashes. For 2024, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes in metro Atlanta took 38 lives in 33 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 on interstate routes in metro Atlanta, 30 were in the "People in the large truck" category, or 16.7% of those deaths. Of the deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes in metro Atlanta, 113 were in the "People in other vehicles" category, or 62.8% of those deaths. In crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes in metro Atlanta, 37 deaths were in the "Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping)" category, 20.6% of the total for 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

For truck crashes on interstate routes, 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 86 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes, a share of 47.8%. The manner of collision recorded as "Angle" covers 11 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes, a share of 6.1%. The manner of collision recorded as "Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport" covers 66 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes, a share of 36.7%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The manner of collision recorded as "Sideswipe" covers 10 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes, a share of 5.6%. The manner of collision recorded as "Head-on" covers 5 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes, a share of 2.8%. The manner of collision recorded as "Other" covers 2 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes, a share of 1.1%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

For truck crashes on interstate routes, 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. By time of day, 117 deaths in crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes were recorded under "Nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.)", 65.0% of the metro Atlanta total for this group. By time of day, 61 deaths in crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes were recorded under "Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.)", 33.9% of the metro Atlanta total for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][9]}

By time of day, 2 deaths in crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes were recorded under "Time not reported", 1.1% of the metro Atlanta total for this group. By land use, 164 deaths in crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes were recorded under "Urban", 91.1% of the metro Atlanta total for this group. By land use, 15 deaths in crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes were recorded under "Rural", 8.3% of the metro Atlanta total for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

By land use, 1 death in crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes was recorded under "Land use not reported", 0.6% of the metro Atlanta total for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Where in the metro area

In DeKalb County, 35 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 19.4% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In Fulton County, 28 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 15.6% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In Cobb County, 21 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 11.7% of the metro Atlanta count for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

In Gwinnett County, 19 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 10.6% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In Bartow County, 16 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 8.9% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In Clayton County, 12 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 6.7% of the metro Atlanta count for this group.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

In Douglas County, 9 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 5.0% of the metro Atlanta count for this group. In Henry County, 9 deaths in truck crashes on interstate routes were recorded over 2020 through 2024, 5.0% 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

On I-75 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes accounted for 59 deaths over 2020 through 2024. On I-20 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes accounted for 43 deaths over 2020 through 2024. On I-285 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes accounted for 37 deaths over 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

On I-85 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes accounted for 34 deaths over 2020 through 2024. On I-575 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes accounted for 3 deaths over 2020 through 2024. On I-985 inside metro Atlanta, crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes accounted for 2 deaths over 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The interstate figures for truck crashes on interstate routes 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.^[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 on interstate routes included 183 large trucks, and 141 of those were truck-tractors, counts of vehicles rather than deaths. For truck crashes on interstate routes, 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 on interstate routes are selected with the route-coded interstate definition, route signing coded Interstate in the FARS accident file with an I-route number in the trafficway identifier. The figures for crashes involving a large truck on interstate routes 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 on interstate routes 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 on interstate routes 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 on interstate routes 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: Not interstate (ROUTE 1 plus I-route TWAY_ID) (2020-2024)
• Metro Atlanta: jurisdictions and records