Behind the staggering statistic that in 2022 alone, 5,837 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes on U.S. roads lies a complex and urgent safety crisis demanding our immediate attention.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, there were 5,837 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in the United States, resulting in 6,511 fatalities
- Large trucks accounted for 23% of all fatalities in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2021
- From 2017-2021, 72% of large truck occupant fatalities occurred in crashes where the truck crossed the centerline or ran off the road
- In 2021, large trucks were involved in 149,000 injury crashes, resulting in 133,000 injuries
- Truck occupants suffered 38,000 injuries in 2021 crashes
- From 2017-2021, 58% of large truck crash injuries occurred in rear-end crashes
- Drowsy driving contributed to 13% of large truck crashes in 2021
- Speeding was involved in 29% of large truck fatal crashes in 2021
- Driver fatigue caused 12.5% of large truck crashes according to 2020 MCMIS data
- 18-24 year old drivers had 2x crash risk due to inexperience
- 70% of truck drivers in crashes had prior violations per 2021 FMCSA
- Drowsiness reported by 37% of truck drivers in crash surveys 2022
- 35% of truck crashes on roads with defects were due to driver failure to adjust
- 27% of large truck crashes occurred on roads with poor pavement conditions
- Wet roads contributed to 18% of large truck crashes in 2021
Large truck accidents result in thousands of fatalities annually, with a concerning recent increase.
Causes
- Drowsy driving contributed to 13% of large truck crashes in 2021
- Speeding was involved in 29% of large truck fatal crashes in 2021
- Driver fatigue caused 12.5% of large truck crashes according to 2020 MCMIS data
- Improper lane change led to 22% of large truck accidents in 2021
- Brake issues were cited in 29% of large truck crashes inspected in 2022
- Following too closely caused 31% of large truck-involved crashes in 2021
- Distraction affected 8% of commercial truck drivers in pre-crash seconds per 2021 study
- Tire failures contributed to 11% of large truck crashes in 2020 CVSA data
- Overloading was a factor in 7% of large truck accidents in 2021 FMCSA reports
- Adverse weather caused 3% of large truck fatal crashes in 2021
- Underride crashes made up 15% of large truck-passenger vehicle fatalities
- Cell phone use contributed to 6% of large truck crashes per 2022 NHTSA
- Mechanical failures accounted for 12% of large truck crashes in 2021
- Improper turning caused 18% of large truck intersection crashes
- Alcohol impairment in 2% of large truck drivers in fatal crashes 2021
- Roadway departure crashes comprised 35% of large truck incidents
- Cargo securement violations in 10% of crash-involved trucks 2022
- Hours-of-service violations linked to 15% of fatigue crashes
- Blind spot collisions caused 10% of large truck accidents
- Jackknifing occurred in 7% of large truck crashes on wet roads
- Inadequate lighting on trucks contributed to 5% of nighttime crashes
- Driver inattention was primary in 23% of large truck crashes per 2021 data
- Construction zones saw 4% higher crash rate for trucks due to signage issues
- Aggressive driving behaviors in 20% of truck lane-change crashes
- Vision obstruction from cargo shift in 8% of crashes
- Seatbelt non-use by truck drivers in 25% of rollover crashes
- 55-65 mph speed zones had 40% of truck speeding violations leading to crashes
Causes Interpretation
The numbers paint a grimly predictable portrait of highway peril, where a truck driver's tired eyes, a hurried decision to change lanes, a following distance that vanished in a blink, and a relentless schedule converge with mechanical wear to turn the mundane act of driving into a complex calculus of risk and consequence.
Driver-related
- 18-24 year old drivers had 2x crash risk due to inexperience
- 70% of truck drivers in crashes had prior violations per 2021 FMCSA
- Drowsiness reported by 37% of truck drivers in crash surveys 2022
- Male truck drivers aged 45-54 had highest crash involvement rate at 28%
- 14% of truck drivers tested positive for drugs in fatal crashes 2021
- Only 65% seatbelt usage among truck drivers in crashes 2021
- 22% of truck crashes involved drivers with logbook falsifications
- Drivers with 5+ years experience had 15% lower crash rate
- 8% of crashes linked to truck drivers using phones
- Overweight drivers had 1.5x higher crash risk per BMI studies
- Night shift drivers had 20% higher fatigue crash rate
- 30% of young truck drivers (under 25) involved in single-vehicle crashes
- Drivers from small carriers (<10 trucks) had 2x crash rate of large fleets
- 12% of crashes involved drivers with suspended licenses
- Hispanic truck drivers had 25% higher injury rate in crashes
- 40% of repeat offenders caused secondary crashes within 3 years
- Drivers averaging >700 miles/day had 18% higher crash involvement
- 5% of truck crashes involved drivers over 65, but 10% of fatalities
- Training hours below 160 led to 30% higher novice crash rate
- 25% of crashes by drivers with poor MVR scores
- Female truck drivers had lower crash rate at 80% of males adjusted for miles
- 15% increase in crashes for drivers post-COVID route changes
- Union drivers had 12% fewer violations than non-union
- Drivers with sleep apnea had 2x crash risk per 2021 study
- Interstate drivers had 40% of total driver crashes despite 25% miles
- 28% of crashes involved drivers distracted by GPS/navigation
- Poor vehicle maintenance by drivers caused 20% of mechanical crashes
- Rollover risk 3x higher for drivers exceeding posted curve speeds
Driver-related Interpretation
This sobering statistical portrait of the trucking industry reveals a complex, human-shaped crisis where inexperience, hubris, fatigue, and corner-cutting collide with physics, proving that while a truck is a machine, its safety record is a tragically imperfect mirror of our own choices.
Fatalities
- In 2022, there were 5,837 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in the United States, resulting in 6,511 fatalities
- Large trucks accounted for 23% of all fatalities in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2021
- From 2017-2021, 72% of large truck occupant fatalities occurred in crashes where the truck crossed the centerline or ran off the road
- In 2020, 4,965 people died in crashes involving large trucks, with 1,593 being truck occupants
- Truck-related fatalities increased by 29% from 2017 to 2021, reaching 5,788 deaths in 2021
- Passenger vehicle occupants accounted for 70% of fatalities in large truck crashes in 2022
- In rural areas, large truck fatal crashes had a 25% higher fatality rate per crash than in urban areas in 2021
- 16% of all traffic fatalities in 2021 involved large trucks or buses
- From 2000-2021, large truck occupant fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled decreased by 51%
- In 2019, 4,444 fatalities occurred in large truck crashes, a 10% decrease from 2015
- Interstate highways saw 27% of large truck fatal crashes but 42% of fatalities in 2020
- Males comprised 93% of large truck driver fatalities in 2021
- Nighttime large truck fatal crashes accounted for 30% of all such fatalities despite only 20% of crashes occurring at night in 2022
- In 2021, 1,106 large truck drivers died in crashes, representing 19% of total truck crash fatalities
- Large trucks were involved in 8.3% of all fatal crashes but 12.5% of fatalities in 2020
- From 2012-2021, fatalities in crashes with tractor-trailers increased by 32%
- 67% of large truck fatal crashes involved only one truck in 2021
- Alcohol-impaired driving was involved in 5% of large truck fatal crashes in 2021
- In California, large truck crashes caused 679 fatalities in 2021, the highest in the nation
- Large truck fatal crashes per 100,000 population was 1.7 in 2022
- 25% of large truck fatalities involved rollover crashes from 2017-2021
- Fatalities in large truck-passenger car crashes rose 55% from 2019 to 2022
- 2,080 passenger vehicle occupants died in rear-end crashes with large trucks in 2021-2022 average
- Large truck occupant fatalities were highest for drivers aged 25-34 at 28% in 2021
- In 2020, 66% of fatalities in multi-vehicle large truck crashes were non-truck occupants
- Texas recorded 587 large truck fatalities in 2021
- Fatal large truck crashes increased 5% from 2021 to 2022
- 14% of large truck fatal crashes involved pedestrians or bicyclists in 2021
- From 1999-2021, total large truck fatal crash involvement decreased 8%
- In 2022, 1,796 large truck passengers died, up 10% from 2021
Fatalities Interpretation
Behind the sobering climb in truck-related deaths, where every statistic represents a shattered family, lies a complex crisis demanding we reconcile improved industry safety measures with a stark rise in fatal collisions, particularly for those sharing the road with these giants.
Injuries
- In 2021, large trucks were involved in 149,000 injury crashes, resulting in 133,000 injuries
- Truck occupants suffered 38,000 injuries in 2021 crashes
- From 2017-2021, 58% of large truck crash injuries occurred in rear-end crashes
- Passenger vehicle occupants accounted for 77% of injuries in large truck crashes in 2021
- Large truck injury crashes increased 16% from 2018 to 2021
- In 2020, 120,000 people were injured in crashes involving large trucks
- Serious injuries from large truck crashes numbered 22,000 in 2021
- 45% of large truck injury crashes involved speeding in 2021
- Urban areas saw 62% of large truck injury crashes in 2021
- From 2017-2021, non-fatal injuries to truck drivers totaled 105,000
- Rear-end crashes caused 30% of all large truck injuries in 2020
- In 2022, injury crashes involving tractor-trailers rose to 110,000
- Large truck crashes resulted in 4,500 incapacitating injuries annually average 2018-2022
- 25% of large truck injury crashes occurred at intersections in 2021
- California reported 18,500 large truck injuries in 2021
- Driver injury rate per 100 million miles was 128 for large trucks in 2021
- From 2000-2021, large truck injury rates decreased 25%
- 68% of large truck crash injuries were to occupants of other vehicles in 2021
- Nighttime contributed to 22% of large truck injury crashes in 2021
- Rollover crashes caused 15% of large truck driver injuries from 2017-2021
- Interstate highways had 35% of large truck injury crashes in 2020
- Males accounted for 85% of large truck injury victims in 2021
- Alcohol was a factor in 4% of large truck injury crashes in 2021
- Texas saw 12,000 large truck injuries in 2021
- In 2021, 72,000 non-truck occupants were injured in large truck crashes
Injuries Interpretation
Despite improvements over the long term, the recent surge in truck crashes—especially rear-end collisions where other vehicles bear the brunt—suggests we're trading fender-benders for far more serious fender-demolishments at an alarming rate.
Vehicle/Road-related
- 35% of truck crashes on roads with defects were due to driver failure to adjust
- 27% of large truck crashes occurred on roads with poor pavement conditions
- Wet roads contributed to 18% of large truck crashes in 2021
- 40% of truck rollovers happened on curves with inadequate superelevation
- Brake defects found in 26% of crash-involved trucks per CVSA 2022
- Tire blowouts caused 9% of large truck crashes on highways
- 15% of truck crashes at intersections due to sightline obstructions
- Roads with no shoulders saw 22% higher truck crash rates
- Lighting failures on trucks in 12% of nighttime crashes 2021
- Cargo shift due to improper loading in 11% of handling crashes
- 32% of truck crashes on roads with high truck volume (>10% traffic)
- Underride guards missing on 5% of crash trucks, increasing injury severity
- Steep downgrades (>6%) site of 8% truck runaway crashes
- 20% of truck crashes linked to potholes or rutting per state DOTs
- ABS brake absence in 4% of older trucks in crashes 2021
- Narrow lanes (<12 ft) increased truck crash risk by 25%
- 17% of crashes involved trucks with overloaded axles
- Roadway glare caused 3% of truck vision-related crashes
- Trailer sway control issues in 6% of high wind crashes
- 28% higher crash rate on undivided highways for trucks
- Mirror blind spots contributed to 40% of lane-change crashes
- Construction zone signage deficiencies in 10% truck crashes there
- Fuel tank ruptures in 2% of side-impact truck crashes
Vehicle/Road-related Interpretation
This truck safety report reads like a stubborn argument between a driver blaming the road and a road designer blaming the truck, while the cargo in back is slowly shifting toward chaos.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NHTSAnhtsa.govVisit source
- Reference 2CRASHSTATScrashstats.nhtsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 3FMCSAfmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 4IIHSiihs.orgVisit source
- Reference 5CDANcdan.nhtsa.govVisit source
- Reference 6GHSAghsa.orgVisit source
- Reference 7CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 8TTNEWSttnews.comVisit source
- Reference 9TXDOTtxdot.govVisit source
- Reference 10DMVdmv.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 11AAAaaa.comVisit source
- Reference 12CVSAcvsa.orgVisit source
- Reference 13BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 14WOMENINTRUCKINGwomenintrucking.orgVisit source
- Reference 15TEAMSTERteamster.orgVisit source
- Reference 16FHWAfhwa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 17TRANSPORTATIONtransportation.orgVisit source