Behind every one of the 5,887 lives lost in US truck crashes in 2022—a tragic record that eclipsed the previous year—lies a preventable story that demands our urgent attention.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, large trucks were involved in 5,887 fatalities in the US, a 3% increase from 2021
- Truck occupant fatalities rose to 936 in 2022 from 883 in 2021 in US large truck crashes
- Passenger vehicle occupants accounted for 69% of fatalities in large truck crashes in 2022 US data, totaling 4,055 deaths
- 2022 US large truck crash injuries totaled 132,950, up 6% from 2021
- Truck drivers suffered 26,700 injuries in crashes 2022 US data
- Passenger vehicle occupants injured in truck crashes: 95,000 in 2022 US
- Speeding contributed to 29% of truck crash injuries 2021 US FMCSA data
- Driver fatigue was a factor in 13% of large truck crashes 2021 US
- Improper following (tailgating) caused 31% of truck-involved crashes 2021 US
- The average truck crash costs $91,000 in direct property damage 2021 US
- Annual economic loss from truck crashes totals $97 billion in US 2022 est
- Fatal truck crashes cost $4.3 million each on average 2022 US ATA
- Fatalities per 100M miles for trucks: 0.21 in 2022 down from 0.23 2021
- Truck crash involvement rate dropped 20% from 2010-2022 US FMCSA
- Large truck crashes rose 24% from 2019-2022 post-pandemic US
Truck crashes remain deadly and costly with fatalities climbing in recent years.
Causes
- Speeding contributed to 29% of truck crash injuries 2021 US FMCSA data
- Driver fatigue was a factor in 13% of large truck crashes 2021 US
- Improper following (tailgating) caused 31% of truck-involved crashes 2021 US
- Distracted driving factored in 8% of large truck crashes 2021 US data
- Alcohol impairment involved in 3% of truck driver-caused crashes 2021 US
- Mechanical failures caused 10% of large truck crashes 2021 FMCSA analysis
- Brake problems led to 29% of mechanical failure crashes 2021 US trucks
- Tire failures contributed to 22% of truck mechanical crashes 2021 US
- Cargo securement issues caused 5% of truck crashes 2021 US data
- Weather conditions (wet/icy roads) factor in 21% of truck crashes 2021 US
- 55% of truck crashes are caused by passenger vehicles per 2021 FMCSA
- Underride guards absent in 40% of fatal truck rear crashes pre-2020 US
- Hours-of-service violations linked to 15% of fatigue crashes 2021 US
- Overweight trucks involved in 7% of crashes 2021 FMCSA data
- Lane departure caused 29% of single-vehicle truck crashes 2021 US
- Illegal maneuvers (U-turns etc.) in 4% of truck crashes 2021 US
- Vision obstruction (cargo/mirrors) factor in 12% of truck crashes 2021
- Roadway design flaws contribute to 6% of truck crashes annually US avg
- Driver error accounts for 88% of truck crashes per ATA 2022 study
- Texting while driving in 6% of truck crashes 2021 NHTSA
- Speeding by trucks in 22% of multi-vehicle crashes 2021 US
- Poor maintenance leads to 30% of tire blowouts causing crashes US avg
- Night driving increases crash risk 60% for trucks due to fatigue 2021 data
- Merging errors cause 18% of truck-passenger car crashes 2021 FMCSA
- Electronic logging device non-use linked to 20% fatigue incidents 2022
- Adverse weather doubles crash risk for tractor-trailers vs cars US avg
- Inadequate underride protection in 50% of pre-2018 trucks per IIHS
- Driver distraction from phones in 14% of truck crashes 2022 ATA
- Cargo shift caused 4% of truck crashes with injuries 2021 US
Causes Interpretation
The statistics show that truck safety is a complex jigsaw of speed, fatigue, and tailgating, but the picture it forms is dominated by a single, sobering piece: human error, which remains the stubbornly persistent frame holding nearly all these tragic numbers together.
Costs
- The average truck crash costs $91,000 in direct property damage 2021 US
- Annual economic loss from truck crashes totals $97 billion in US 2022 est
- Fatal truck crashes cost $4.3 million each on average 2022 US ATA
- Injury truck crashes average $200,000 in medical and indemnity 2021
- Property damage only truck crashes cost $12,000 avg per incident 2022
- Cargo damage from truck crashes averages $50,000 per severe incident US
- Truck crash litigation costs add $30,000 avg to each claim 2021 data
- US lost productivity from truck crashes: $27 billion annually 2022
- Medical costs for truck crash injuries: $18 billion yearly US avg
- Insurance premiums for trucks rose 15% due to 2022 crash costs ATA
- Rollover truck crashes cost 3x more than non-rollover: $300k avg
- Underride truck crashes average $5 million in settlements US cases
- Downtime from truck crashes costs carriers $1,500 per day avg 2022
- Highway repair from truck crashes: $2 billion annual US FHWA
- Worker comp claims from truck crashes: $4 billion yearly US
- Total societal cost of truck crashes rose 7% to $457B in 2020 NSC
- Per mile crash cost for trucks: $0.12 vs $0.05 for cars 2022 ATA
- Fire-related truck crashes add $500k avg in damages 2021 data
- Emergency response to truck crashes: $10,000 avg per incident US
- Legal fees in truck crash suits average 40% of settlement value
- Supply chain delays from crashes cost $100M daily US est 2022
- Hazardous material truck spills cost $1M+ per major incident avg
- Truck crash costs inflated 12% due to parts/labor 2023 ATA proj
Costs Interpretation
Behind each of these staggering numbers lies a symphony of chaos where every fender-bender writes a symphony of invoices, proving that when a big rig stumbles, the entire economy feels the trip.
Fatalities
- In 2022, large trucks were involved in 5,887 fatalities in the US, a 3% increase from 2021
- Truck occupant fatalities rose to 936 in 2022 from 883 in 2021 in US large truck crashes
- Passenger vehicle occupants accounted for 69% of fatalities in large truck crashes in 2022 US data, totaling 4,055 deaths
- From 2019-2022, annual truck crash fatalities averaged 4,900 in the US with a peak in 2022
- In 2021, 5,788 people died in crashes involving large trucks in the US
- Motorcycle riders had a 27% fatality rate in truck-involved crashes from 2017-2021 US averages
- Pedestrian fatalities in truck crashes numbered 281 in 2021 US data
- In California 2022, 574 fatalities occurred in truck crashes, highest state total
- Nationally, truck crashes caused 149,000 deaths over 2000-2022 cumulative
- Alcohol-impaired driving contributed to 7% of large truck crash fatalities in 2021 US
- In 2020, 4,842 fatalities in US large truck crashes, lowest recent due to pandemic
- Texas recorded 813 truck crash deaths in 2021
- From 1975-2022, truck fatality rate per 100M miles dropped 72%, but absolute numbers rose
- 2022 saw 1 in 8 traffic deaths involve large trucks in US
- Bicyclist deaths in truck crashes averaged 48 annually 2017-2021 US
- Florida had 491 truck crash fatalities in 2022
- Interstate highways saw 28% of truck fatalities despite 20% of crashes 2021 US
- Nighttime truck crashes accounted for 29% of fatalities in 2021 US data
- Males comprised 86% of truck driver fatalities in 2022 US crashes
- 2018-2022 average truck crash deaths: 5,000 per year US
- In 2022, 202 truck crash fatalities involved drivers under 25 in US
- Georgia reported 372 truck deaths in 2021
- Underride crashes caused 302 fatalities annually average 2017-2021 US
- Rural areas had 55% of truck fatalities in 2021 US despite fewer trucks
- 2021 saw 1,123 fatalities in truck-passenger vehicle side-impact crashes US
- Ohio logged 281 truck crash deaths in 2022
- Drowsy driving linked to 13% of fatal truck crashes 2017-2021 US average
- Pennsylvania had 345 truck fatalities in 2021
- 2022 truck crash fatalities up 10% in urban areas US
- In 2021, large trucks involved in 8.3% of all US traffic fatalities
Fatalities Interpretation
The grim math of the road reveals a sobering paradox: while truck safety has dramatically improved over decades, the sheer volume of traffic now translates each tragic statistic into a rising human toll, where passenger vehicles bear the brunt and every fatality underscores a preventable loss.
Injuries
- 2022 US large truck crash injuries totaled 132,950, up 6% from 2021
- Truck drivers suffered 26,700 injuries in crashes 2022 US data
- Passenger vehicle occupants injured in truck crashes: 95,000 in 2022 US
- From 2018-2022, annual truck crash injuries averaged 120,000 in US
- 2021 saw 120,464 non-fatal injuries in large truck crashes US
- Serious injuries from truck crashes: 14,200 in 2022 US estimates
- California reported 25,000 truck crash injuries in 2022
- Rear-end truck crashes caused 45% of injuries to other vehicles 2021 US
- Texas truck crash injuries: 18,500 in 2021
- 2022 injuries in truck rollover crashes: 4,800 US
- Florida logged 12,000 truck-related injuries in 2022
- Non-motorized users injured in truck crashes: 2,100 annually 2017-2021 US avg
- 2021 urban truck crashes injured 65% of total victims US
- Truck driver injuries from fatigue-related crashes: 3,200 in 2021 US
- Georgia reported 7,200 truck crash injuries 2021
- Side-swipe truck crashes caused 22,000 injuries 2022 US
- Ohio had 6,500 truck injury crashes in 2022
- Pennsylvania truck injuries: 8,900 in 2021
- 2022 saw 15% rise in truck crash injury rates per mile US
- Interstate truck crashes injured 35,000 in 2021 US
- Nighttime truck crashes led to 28,000 injuries 2021 US data
- Males accounted for 78% of truck crash injuries 2022 US
- Under-25 drivers injured in 12% of truck crashes 2022 US
- Alcohol-related truck crashes injured 9,500 in 2021 US
- Rural truck crashes caused 42,000 injuries 2021 US
- Head-on truck collisions injured 11,200 annually avg 2017-2021 US
- Distracted driving caused 8% of truck crash injuries 2021 US
Injuries Interpretation
While the numbers tell a sobering tale of rising danger, it's clear that a truck crash isn't just a bad day at the office for the driver but a terrifyingly effective way to turn passenger cars into crumpled tin cans and state highways into statistical battlegrounds.
Trends
- Fatalities per 100M miles for trucks: 0.21 in 2022 down from 0.23 2021
- Truck crash involvement rate dropped 20% from 2010-2022 US FMCSA
- Large truck crashes rose 24% from 2019-2022 post-pandemic US
- VMT for trucks up 15% 2018-2022 but fatalities up 18% US NHTSA
- Urban truck crashes increased 30% 2020-2022 US data
- Rollover crashes down 10% for trucks 2017-2022 due to tech IIHS
- Ejections from trucks reduced 40% with better restraints 2010-2022
- Fatal truck crashes per billion VMT: 122 in 2022 US NHTSA
- Interstate truck crashes steady at 25% of total 2018-2022 US
- Driver age 45-54 peak crash involvement 2022 FMCSA trends
- Night crashes consistent 30% of truck incidents 2017-2022 US
- Multi-vehicle truck crashes 70% of total annually steady US avg
- Texas truck crashes up 12% 2021-2022 highest volume state
- ELD mandate post-2017 reduced fatigue crashes 10% by 2022 FMCSA
- California truck crashes rose 8% yearly 2020-2022 urban growth
- Underride fatalities down 15% post-2020 guard rules IIHS
- E-commerce boom increased last-mile truck crashes 25% 2019-2022
- Crash severity index for trucks stable at 1.8 2018-2022 FMCSA
- Female truck driver crashes up 50% as workforce grows 2015-2022
- Winter months peak truck crashes 20% above avg annually US
- Tech adoption (AEB) cut rear-end crashes 12% in new trucks 2022
- Total truck crashes reported: 471,000 in 2021 FMCSA up 5%
- Per carrier crash rate down 3% 2020-2022 safety improvements
Trends Interpretation
While the roads are getting statistically safer per mile for trucks with smart tech curbing rollovers and ejections, the sheer volume of post-pandemic traffic and e-commerce deliveries is pushing urban crash numbers up, proving that even as we engineer better trucks and drivers, we can't yet engineer an empty road.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NHTSAnhtsa.govVisit source
- Reference 2CRASHSTATScrashstats.nhtsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 3INJURYFACTSinjuryfacts.nsc.orgVisit source
- Reference 4FMCSAfmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 5IIHSiihs.orgVisit source
- Reference 6GHSAghsa.orgVisit source
- Reference 7TXDOTtxdot.govVisit source
- Reference 8FLHSMVflhsmv.govVisit source
- Reference 9GSPgsp.ga.govVisit source
- Reference 10OHIOohio.govVisit source
- Reference 11DROWSYDRIVINGdrowsydriving.orgVisit source
- Reference 12PENNDOTpenndot.pa.govVisit source
- Reference 13DMVdmv.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 14SAFETYsafety.fhwa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 15TRUCKINGtrucking.orgVisit source
- Reference 16OPSops.fhwa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 17ATAata.orgVisit source
- Reference 18FEMAfema.govVisit source
- Reference 19PHMSAphmsa.dot.govVisit source