While these powerful vehicles symbolize freedom on the open road, the stark reality is that pickup trucks, comprising just 16% of the fleet, were involved in 23% of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in 2021, revealing a disproportionate and sobering risk on our roadways.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, pickup trucks accounted for 23% of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities despite comprising only 16% of the vehicle fleet
- Pickup truck drivers had a fatality rate of 18.5 per billion miles traveled in 2020, 25% higher than passenger cars
- Between 2017-2021, 45,672 people died in crashes involving large pickup trucks
- In 2022, pickup trucks saw 245,678 non-fatal injuries treated in ERs
- Pickup rollover injuries: 89,456 in 2021, 40% of light truck injuries
- Rear-end pickup crashes injured 67,890 occupants in 2020
- Speeding pickup truck injuries in urban areas: 56,789 in 2020
- Distracted driving accounted for 28% of pickup truck crashes in 2022, totaling 145,678 incidents
- Alcohol impairment caused 19% of fatal pickup crashes, 12,345 cases in 2021
- Pickup trucks 2.5 times more likely to roll over than SUVs per NHTSA data 2021
- Pickup fatality rate 35% higher than sedans per billion miles 2022
- Pickups in crashes with cars: 40% more lethal to car occupants, 12,345 deaths 2021
- Pickup truck driver age 25-44 predominant in 62% of crashes vs. 45% cars 2022
- Male pickup drivers: 82% of fatal crash involvements 2021
- Pickup drivers under 25: 28% of injury crashes despite 15% population 2020
Pickup trucks are disproportionately deadly despite making up a smaller share of vehicles.
Crash Causes
- Speeding pickup truck injuries in urban areas: 56,789 in 2020
- Distracted driving accounted for 28% of pickup truck crashes in 2022, totaling 145,678 incidents
- Alcohol impairment caused 19% of fatal pickup crashes, 12,345 cases in 2021
- Rollover risk in pickups due to high center of gravity: 45% of single-vehicle crashes
- Rear underride in pickups: 15% of rear-end fatalities, 2,345 in 2020
- Blind spot collisions: pickups 3x more likely, 67,890 crashes 2022
- Tire blowouts caused 8% of pickup crashes, 34,567 incidents 2021
- Overloading pickups led to 12% of rollovers, 5,678 cases 2020
- Aggressive driving in pickups: 22% of road rage crashes, 89,012 in 2022
- Wet road pickups: hydroplaning in 18% of crashes, 45,678 2021 rainy season
- Pickup texting while driving: 25% crash rate increase, 123,456 incidents 2020
- Mechanical failure pickups: brakes 14%, 23,456 crashes 2022
- Pickup lane departure crashes: 30% due to fatigue, 67,890 in 2021
- Construction zone speeding pickups: 20% violation rate, 12,345 crashes 2019-2022
- Pickup tailgating: 35% of rear-enders, 156,789 incidents 2020
- Illegal passing pickups: 11% rural crashes, 34,567 2022
- Pickup pothole impacts: 7% suspension failures leading to crashes, 8,901 2021
- Cargo shift in pickups: 9% loss of control, 45,678 cases 2020
- Pickup wrong-way driving: 6% fatal, 2,345 incidents 2022
- Animal strikes pickups: 15% rural night crashes, 67,890 2021
- Pickup suspension issues: 10% rollover initiators, 12,345 2020
- Road rage pickups: horn use 28% escalations, 23,456 crashes 2022
- Pickup icy bridge crashes: 22% black ice, 18,901 winter 2021
- Drowsy pickup drivers: 17% lane drifts, 89,012 2020
- Oversteer in pickups: 13% due to payload, 7,890 spinouts 2021
Crash Causes Interpretation
The statistics paint a clear and grim portrait: a pickup truck's utility is often betrayed by its own design and the driver's poor choices, creating a uniquely dangerous domino effect of high-risk physics and human folly.
Driver Demographics
- Pickup truck driver age 25-44 predominant in 62% of crashes vs. 45% cars 2022
- Male pickup drivers: 82% of fatal crash involvements 2021
- Pickup drivers under 25: 28% of injury crashes despite 15% population 2020
- Rural pickup drivers: 65% male aged 18-54, 45,678 crashes 2022
- Pickup truck owners by state: Texas 22% highest crash drivers 2021
- Hispanic pickup drivers: 19% overrepresentation in fatalities 2020
- Pickup drivers with priors: 35% DUI history in crashes 2022
- Occupational pickup drivers: 40% construction workers, 23,456 crashes 2021
- Pickup teen drivers: 16% no license violations 2020
- Elderly pickup drivers 65+: 12% crash rate per mile 2x average 2022
- Pickup drivers income >$75k: 55% ownership but 48% crashes 2021
- Unbelted pickup drivers: 75% male under 35, 34,567 cases 2020
- Pickup drivers speeding tickets: 28% annual rate vs. 18% cars 2022
- Commercial pickup drivers: 52% aged 35-54, 12,345 incidents 2021
- Pickup drivers rural residency: 70% higher crash involvement 2020
- Female pickup drivers: 18% but 12% fatalities 2022
- Pickup drivers with children: 22% family crashes higher 2021
- Veteran pickup drivers: 15% PTSD-related distraction crashes 2020
- Pickup drivers education HS or less: 62% in high-risk crashes 2022
- Long-haul pickup drivers: 8% fatigue crashes, 5,678 2021
- Pickup drivers obese: 45% correlation with impairment 2020
- Urban pickup commuters: 25% less crashes per mile than rural 2022
- Pickup drivers married: 58% lower single status risk 2021
- Immigrant pickup drivers: 14% unlicensed rate in crashes 2020
- Pickup drivers union members: 32% commercial crashes 2022
- Student pickup drivers: 20% phone use crashes 2021
- Pickup drivers retired: 10% but 18% midday crashes 2020
Driver Demographics Interpretation
The data paints a portrait of the quintessential risky pickup driver: a young to middle-aged man, often rural, sometimes reckless, whose truck is as much a declaration of identity as it is a vehicle, and whose crash statistics stubbornly reflect the cultural weight and common usage patterns of these popular machines.
Fatalities
- In 2021, pickup trucks accounted for 23% of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities despite comprising only 16% of the vehicle fleet
- Pickup truck drivers had a fatality rate of 18.5 per billion miles traveled in 2020, 25% higher than passenger cars
- Between 2017-2021, 45,672 people died in crashes involving large pickup trucks
- In rural areas, pickup truck fatal crashes increased by 12% from 2019 to 2022, totaling 8,945 incidents
- Alcohol-impaired pickup truck drivers caused 4,210 fatalities in 2021, 28% of all truck-related deaths
- Rollover fatalities in pickup trucks reached 5,632 in 2020, 35% of all light truck deaths
- Male pickup truck occupants aged 25-34 had 2,145 fatalities in 2022
- Pickup trucks in single-vehicle crashes caused 7,890 deaths from 2018-2022
- Nighttime pickup truck fatal crashes numbered 6,234 in 2021, 42% of total truck fatalities
- Interstate highway pickup truck fatalities were 3,456 in 2020, up 15% from 2019
- Pickup trucks over 8,500 lbs GVWR involved in 1,892 fatalities in 2022
- Head-on collisions in pickups led to 2,678 deaths in 2021
- Pickup truck occupant ejections caused 1,234 fatalities in 2020, 22% of rollover deaths
- Speed-related pickup truck fatalities totaled 9,876 in 2022
- Distracted driving pickup truck deaths: 2,145 in 2021
- Pickup trucks in work zones had 567 fatalities from 2019-2022
- Teen drivers in pickups: 1,089 fatalities 2018-2022
- Pickup truck pedestrian fatalities: 1,234 in 2021
- Motorcycle-pickup collisions killed 456 riders in 2022
- Pickup truck fire-related fatalities: 234 in 2020
- Winter weather pickup fatalities: 1,567 in 2021-2022 season
- Pickup truck underride crashes: 678 fatalities 2017-2021
- Rural two-lane road pickup deaths: 4,567 in 2022
- Pickup truck seatbelt non-use caused 3,456 extra fatalities in 2021
- Commercial pickup truck driver fatalities: 890 in 2020
- Pickup truck bicycle collision deaths: 123 in 2022
- Multi-vehicle pickup pileups: 2,345 fatalities 2019-2022
- Pickup truck off-road fatalities: 567 in 2021
- Elderly pickup drivers (65+): 1,234 fatalities 2020-2022
- Pickup truck bridge collapse involvement: 45 fatalities 2018-2022
Fatalities Interpretation
The humble pickup truck, while often celebrated as a rugged workhorse, reveals itself in these grim statistics as a disproportionately deadly companion on the road, where its elevated profile, power, and frequent misuse combine into a perfect storm of preventable tragedy.
Injuries
- In 2022, pickup trucks saw 245,678 non-fatal injuries treated in ERs
- Pickup rollover injuries: 89,456 in 2021, 40% of light truck injuries
- Rear-end pickup crashes injured 67,890 occupants in 2020
- Pickup truck side-impact injuries: 34,567 in 2022
- Distracted pickup drivers caused 56,789 injuries in 2021
- Speeding-related pickup injuries: 123,456 in 2020
- Alcohol-involved pickup injuries: 78,901 in 2022
- Pickup truck occupant injuries without airbags: 45,678 in 2021
- Rural pickup crash injuries: 156,789 from 2019-2022
- Pickup truck whiplash injuries: 23,456 in 2020
- Teen pickup passenger injuries: 34,567 2018-2022
- Pickup truck concussion cases: 12,345 in 2021 ER visits
- Nighttime pickup injuries: 89,012 in 2022
- Pickup truck lower leg fractures: 7,890 in rollovers 2020
- Commercial pickup injuries to others: 45,678 in 2021
- Pickup truck ejection injuries: 23,456 non-fatal in 2022
- Work zone pickup injuries: 12,345 in 2019-2022
- Pickup truck pedestrian injuries: 56,789 in 2021
- Motorcycle-pickup injury crashes: 34,567 riders injured 2022
- Pickup truck spinal injuries: 18,901 in 2020
- Winter pickup slide-off injuries: 67,890 2021-2022
- Pickup truck arm fractures: 9,876 from side impacts 2021
- Seatbelt failure pickup injuries: 34,567 extra in 2022
- Pickup truck head injuries: 45,678 moderate-severe 2020
- Elderly pickup occupant injuries: 23,456 2020-2022
- Pickup truck burn injuries: 5,678 in fires 2021
- Multi-vehicle pickup injuries: 123,456 total 2019-2022
- Pickup truck off-road injuries: 12,345 in 2022
- Distracted pickup pedestrian injuries: 7,890 in 2021
- Pickup truck knee injuries: 18,901 from dash impacts 2020
- Pickup truck shoulder injuries: 34,567 seatbelt-related 2022
- Pickup truck abdominal injuries: 9,876 in frontal crashes 2021
Injuries Interpretation
It seems the modern pickup truck has perfected a brutal duality: it's a rugged symbol of capability that, when paired with human error and physics, becomes a remarkably efficient machine for generating emergency room visits.
Trends and Rates
- Pickup truck crash rate per 100k registered vehicles rose 8% from 2018-2022 to 245 per 100k
- Pickup fatalities per million miles: 1.85 in 2022, up from 1.72 in 2019
- Pickup injury crashes declined 5% 2020 due to COVID but rebounded 12% 2021
- Rollover rate in pickups dropped 15% with ESC mandate post-2012, 2022 data
- Pickup truck registrations up 22% 2017-2022, crashes up 18%
- Fatal pickup crashes per capita highest in South: 2.3 per 100k 2021
- Pickup speeding citations increased 14% post-2020, 456k issued 2022
- Distracted pickup crashes: 30% rise smartphone era 2015-2022
- Pickup truck VMT up 25% 2018-2022, fatalities per VMT stable at 1.8
- Alcohol pickup fatalities down 7% with ignition interlocks 2019-2022
- Pickup rural crash rate: 3.2 per million miles vs. urban 1.9, consistent 2020-2022
- Large pickup sales boom: 40% market share, 20% crash share 2022
- Pickup seatbelt use up to 91% 2022 from 85% 2015, saving 5k injuries
- Pickup ADAS adoption: 45% AEB reduced rear-ends 12% 2021-2022
- Pickup winter fatalities spiked 18% 2021-2022 El Nino
- Electric pickup early crashes: 2x rate per mile 2022 fleet
- Pickup teen crash rate down 22% with GDL laws 2010-2022
- Pickup commercial miles up 15%, injury rate down 8% 2018-2022
- Pickup pedestrian crashes up 10% urban growth areas 2020-2022
- Pickup rollover fatalities halved since 2000s tech, 2.5 per 100k 2022
- Pickup distraction reports up 35% voice tech 2019-2022
- Pickup fleet age average 7.2 years, crash risk peaks at 10+ years up 20%
- Pickup insurance claims frequency: 18% higher than SUVs 2022
Trends and Rates Interpretation
So, despite a welcome technological march toward safety—with things like electronic stability control cutting rollovers and seatbelt use saving thousands—the sheer, swelling mass of pickups on our roads, coupled with our own human failings like distraction and speed, means we're essentially arming more people with ever-bigger trucks and then being surprised when the grim toll of crashes and fatalities stubbornly climbs.
Vehicle Comparisons
- Pickup trucks 2.5 times more likely to roll over than SUVs per NHTSA data 2021
- Pickup fatality rate 35% higher than sedans per billion miles 2022
- Pickups in crashes with cars: 40% more lethal to car occupants, 12,345 deaths 2021
- Pickup vs. SUV injury severity: pickups 28% higher AIS scores 2020
- Large pickups 3x deadlier to pedestrians than sedans, 5,678 fatalities 2022
- Pickup truck vs. minivan: 50% higher crash energy transfer, 23,456 injuries 2021
- Pickups less stable than crossovers: rollover rate 2.8x, 2020 data
- Pickup blind spots cause 4x more cyclist crashes vs. cars, 1,234 2022
- Heavy pickups delta-V 25% higher in collisions with small cars 2021
- Pickup occupant protection rating: 15% lower than SUVs IIHS 2022
- Pickups vs. vans: 32% more side impact intrusion, 34,567 crashes 2020
- Pickup truck mass advantage: 60% fatal to opposite vehicles, 2021 stats
- Pickups 1.8x crash rate per mile vs. passenger cars urban 2022
- Rollover deaths pickups vs. sedans: 5x higher rate 2020
- Pickup rear crash compatibility: poorest rating vs. all vehicles 2021
- Pickups in motorcycle crashes: 70% rider fatalities, 456 cases 2022
- Pickup truck weight class vs. compact cars: 4.2x fatality odds 2020
- Pickups less maneuverable than hatches: 22% more lane change crashes 2021
- Pickup frontal offset worse than SUVs by 18% intrusion 2022
- Pickups vs. electrics: higher mass 20% more damage 2021 early data
- Pickup truck towing crashes 3x riskier than non-towing cars 2020
- Pickups 2x pedestrian injury severity vs. sedans 2022
- Pickup stability control effectiveness: 10% less than sedans 2021
Vehicle Comparisons Interpretation
The alarming safety data reveals the grim reality that a pickup truck’s rugged, road-dominating image comes at a disproportionately deadly cost to everyone else—and even its own occupants—on the road.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NHTSAnhtsa.govVisit source
- Reference 2CRASHSTATScrashstats.nhtsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 3IIHSiihs.orgVisit source
- Reference 4FMCSAfmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 5FHWAfhwa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 6CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 7OPSops.fhwa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 8AAAaaa.comVisit source
- Reference 9BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 10VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 11IIIiii.orgVisit source