If you’re looking for up-to-date truck accident statistics in 2025, then this article has everything you need to know.
The most accurate and widely used truck accident statistics in the U.S. come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For more insights, you need to look into Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data, and reports from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
To save you the time, we’ve prepared 39 of the most important truck accident statistics below.
The report below will help you get the facts you need, quickly and clearly, with the source material for any further research.
Los Justicieros are dedicated trucking accident lawyers in California. We use trucking accident data and statistics to win compensation for our clients injured in trucking accidents — if this is you, contact us today for a free consultation.
Where did we get the data?
We sourced the data from three authoritative sources:
- High-level 2023 summary report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
This report provides an overall snapshot of motor vehicle crashes, including large truck crashes, across the U.S.
Read the 2023 NHTSA Report - Detailed 2022 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from the NHTSA:
The FARS database contains detailed records on every fatal crash in the country, including those involving large trucks.
Explore the 2022 FARS Data - In-depth data on trucking accident causes, vehicle types, and crash locations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):
The FMCSA’s Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts report offers granular details on commercial truck and bus crashes, helping identify patterns and safety issues.
View the FMCSA Crash Facts 2021 Report
What the NHTSA considers a “truck”
Before diving into the statistics, it’s important to understand what the NHTSA considers a “truck.”
The word “truck” can mean many things — from a small pickup to a massive 18-wheeler. So the NHTSA divides trucks into two main categories:
- Light trucks: SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and other light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less.
- Large trucks: Commercial and non-commercial trucks with a GVWR of over 10,000 pounds.
“Large trucks” therefore refers to semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, combination trucks, dump trucks, cement mixers, and other big rigs.
Understanding these categories is crucial because many people searching for “semi-truck accident statistics” or “tractor-trailer accident statistics” are really looking for data under the NHTSA’s large truck category.
Semi-truck accident statistics
See below for an overview of the latest “large truck” or semi-truck accident statistics in the US, according to the NHTSA.
Semi-truck driver fatalities statistics
Source: 2023 NHTSA Report (CrashStats 813705)
- Large truck occupant fatalities
In 2023, 40,901 people were killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. Of these, 961 were occupants of large trucks (2.3% of all fatalities). - Total fatalities involving large trucks
5,472 people died in accidents involving large trucks (13.4% of all traffic-related deaths). - Non-occupant fatalities
There were 4,511 non-occupant fatalities (other car drivers or passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) compared to 961 occupant fatalities in large trucks. Preliminary data from 2023 therefore suggests that 82.4% of victims in fatal truck crashes were not the truck driver or truck passengers.
Source: 2021 FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts Report
- Large truck crash fatalities
In 2021, there were 5,788 fatalities in crashes involving large trucks. Of these, 3,787 fatalities (73.4%) were people in passenger vehicles, while 1,008 fatalities (19.5%) were occupants of the large truck. Meanwhile, there were 630 fatalities among nonmotorists (10.9%). - Crash types
Most fatal crashes (62.0%) involved two vehicles; 20.7% involved just the truck; and 11.7% involved three vehicles. - Most common victims
The most common fatality in these crashes was the driver of the other motor vehicle (2,781 deaths, 55.3%), followed by the passenger of the other vehicle (782 deaths, 15.5%), and the driver of the large truck (768 deaths, 15.3%). - Record year
2021 was the worst year on record, with 5,788 fatalities from large truck crashes.
Semi truck fatalities statistics by location or timing
Source: 2023 NHTSA Report (CrashStats 813705)
- Rural vs. urban light-truck fatalities
Rural areas account for a larger share of light-truck occupant fatalities (41% of the total) compared to urban areas (22% of the total).
Source: 2021 FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts Report
- States with the most fatalities
In 2021, Texas saw the highest number of fatalities in crashes involving large trucks (806 deaths, 13.9%), followed by California (437 deaths, 7.6%), Florida (373 deaths, 6.4%), Georgia (244 deaths, 4.2%), and Ohio (220 deaths, 3.8%). - States with the fewest fatalities
The District of Columbia had the fewest fatalities in large truck crashes (1 death, 0.02%), superceded by Rhode Island (3 deaths, 0.05%), Hawaii (7 deaths, 0.12%), and Alaska and Vermont (each with 8 deaths, 0.13%). - Most dangerous road types
Principal arterial roads in rural areas saw the most fatal crashes (899 crashes, 17.5% of the total), followed by principal arterial roads in urban areas (771 crashes, 15%), urban interstates (704 crashes, 13.7%), rural interstates (635 crashes, 12.3%), minor arterial roads in rural areas (562 crashes, 10.9%), and major collector roads in rural areas (456 crashes, 8.9%). - Most dangerous time of day
The majority of fatal crashes happened between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. (900 crashes, 17.5% of the total); in fact, 63.4% of fatal crashes occurred during daylight hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. - Most dangerous days of the week
Wednesday had the most fatalities (892 deaths, 17.3%), followed closely by Thursday (891 deaths, 17.3%) and Friday (846 deaths, 16.4%). Notably, 83.1% of all fatal crashes occurred on weekdays. - Most common road configurations
Nearly half of all fatal large truck crashes (2,428 crashes, 47.2%) happened on two-way, undivided roads, followed by two-way divided roads with positive median barriers (1,207 crashes, 23.4%) and two-way divided roads with unprotected medians (21.7%).
Semi truck fatalities statistics by cause
Source: 2023 NHTSA Report (CrashStats 813705)
- Alcohol-impaired large truck drivers
There were 187 alcohol-impaired large truck drivers involved in fatal accidents (the % of total truck drivers involved in fatal accidents is unknown in the 2023 data). - Rollover crashes
Rollover occurred in 749 fatal crashes, representing 12.8% of the 5,837 fatal large truck crashes. - Fires in crashes
Fire occurred in 344 fatal crashes, or 5.9% of the total. - Jackknife crashes
Jackknifing was involved in 142 fatal crashes, making up 2.4% of the total. - Front-end collisions
Front-end collisions were the most harmful event in fatal large truck crashes, making up the initial point of impact in 42.7% of cases. Here’s the detailed breakdown:
– Front point of impact: 42.7%
– Rear point of impact: 16.3%
– Collision with non-motorist: 10.2%
– Non-collision (e.g., overturn, fire): 9.4%
– Left-side impact: 8.1%
– Right-side impact: 4.5%
– Collision with other non-fixed object: 2.6%
– Unknown point of impact: 1.4%
Source: 2021 FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts Report
- Truck driver blood alcohol levels
In 2021, 4.9% of large truck drivers involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01 or higher, and 2.7% had a BAC of 0.08 or higher. - Primary causes of fatal crashes
The most common primary cause of fatal crashes was large trucks striking passenger vehicles (999 crashes, 36.9%), followed by passenger vehicles rear-ending large trucks (488 crashes, 18.0%) and passenger vehicles crossing the center median causing head-on collisions (458 crashes, 16.9%). - Critical pre-crash events
The top pre-crash factor was another vehicle encroaching into the truck’s lane (2,053 fatal crashes, 36.0%), followed by another vehicle already in the truck’s lane (1,508 crashes, 26.5%) and the large truck’s own movement (1,171 crashes, 20.5%). - Manner of collision
The most common collision type was angle crashes (1,525 crashes, 26.8%), followed by front-to-rear crashes (1,358 crashes, 23.8%) and front-to-front crashes (875 crashes, 15.4%). - Vehicle-related crash factors
Vehicle issues were recorded in only 238 fatal crashes (4.2%), with the most common factors being tire problems (66 cases) and brake system issues (52 cases). - Drug use among truck drivers
Of the 5,634 large truck drivers involved in fatal crashes, 310 (5.5%) tested positive for drugs. The most common substances were stimulants (133 cases) and cannabinoids (124 cases). - Driver-related crash factors
In 1,798 fatal large truck crashes (31.9%), at least one driver-related factor was recorded. The most common were speeding (397 cases), distraction or inattention (278 cases, including cell phone use, eating, or daydreaming), and careless driving (264 cases).
Semi truck fatalities statistics by type
Source: 2022 NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
- Most common truck body types in fatal crashes
In 2022, there were 5,837 large trucks involved in fatal accidents. The most frequently involved body class was truck tractors (tractor-trailers or 18-wheelers) with 3,444 vehicles or 59.0%, followed by single-unit trucks (1,476, 25.3%), large pickups (764, 13.1%), other large trucks (56, 0.96%), other van types (35, 0.60%), step vans (32, 0.55%), cargo vans (29, 0.50%), and utility trucks (1, 0.02%).
Source: 2021 FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts Report
- Combination vs. single-unit trucks in fatal crashes
Of the 5,149 fatal crashes involving large trucks, 3,415 (66.3%) involved combination trucks, while 1,887 (36.6%) involved single-unit large trucks. Interestingly, in 2021 there were 3.14 million combination trucks registered compared to 10.72 million single-unit trucks. - Most common truck configurations in fatal crashes
Tractor/semi-trailer trucks were involved in 3,091 fatal crashes (54.2%), followed by single-unit, 2-axle trucks (1,434 crashes, 25.2%) and single-unit, 3+ axle trucks (471 crashes, 8.3%). - Cargo type most involved in fatal crashes
Trucks carrying van or enclosed box cargo were involved in the most fatal crashes, with 2,132 crashes (37.4% of the total).
Semi-truck accident general statistics
Source: 2023 NHTSA Report (CrashStats 813705)
- Injuries in U.S. trucking accidents
In 2023, there were approximately 2.44 million people injured in traffic accidents. Of these there were 41,733 large truck occupants injured (1.7% of total) and 153,452 non-occupants injured in accidents involving large trucks (6.3%).
Source: 2021 FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts Report
- Injury crashes by truck type
In 2021, there were 57,000 injury crashes (50.9%) involving combination trucks, and 55,000 injury crashes (49.1%) involving single-unit trucks. Notably, this occurred even though there were 3.14 million combination trucks registered compared to 10.72 million single-unit trucks. - Property damage only (PDO) crashes involving large trucks or buses
In 2021, there were an estimated 412,000 PDO crashes involving large trucks or buses. Of the 2021 PDO crashes, 203,000 (52.7%) involved combination trucks, while 182,000 (42.3%) involved single-unit trucks — again, despite the higher number of single-unit trucks registered (10.72 million) compared to combination trucks (3.14 million).
Semi-truck vs car accident statistics
Source: 2021 FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts Report
- Share of total fatalities
In 2021, there were 42,939 fatalities in all motor vehicle crashes. Of these, 5,788 (13.5%) were in large truck crashes, while 37,019 (86.2%) were in passenger vehicle crashes. - Fatal crash involvement rates by vehicle type
With 13,859,181 large trucks registered and 5,700 involved in fatal crashes, about 0.004% of large trucks were involved in fatal crashes. For passenger vehicles, with 257,675,179 registered and 46,822 involved in fatal crashes, the rate was about 0.02% — meaning passenger vehicles were roughly five times as likely to be involved in a fatal crash. - Alcohol involvement comparison
Among truck drivers in fatal crashes, 4.9% had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01+ and 2.7% had a BAC of 0.08+ (the legal limit). In comparison, among passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes, 28% had a BAC of 0.01+ and 24.1% had a BAC of 0.08+ — highlighting a much higher rate of alcohol involvement for passenger vehicle drivers. - Injury crashes comparison
In 2021, about 0.008% of registered large trucks were involved in injury crashes (110,000 crashes among 13.86 million trucks), while about 0.006% of registered passenger vehicles were involved in injury crashes (1.58 million crashes among 257.7 million vehicles) — meaning large trucks had a slightly higher per-vehicle rate of involvement in injury crashes. - Drug test results comparison
Of the 5,634 large truck drivers involved in fatal crashes, 310 (5.5%) tested positive for drugs, with stimulants (133 cases) and cannabinoids (124 cases) being the most common. By contrast, across all drivers in fatal crashes, 16.6% tested positive for drugs — about three times the rate seen among large truck drivers. - Driver-related crash factors comparison
In fatal truck crashes, at least one driver-related factor was recorded in 1,798 cases (31.9%). For fatal passenger vehicle crashes, at least one driver-related factor was recorded in 54.2% of cases — showing driver behavior plays a larger role in passenger vehicle fatalities.
FAQ
How common are trucking accidents?
Each year in the United States, large trucks are involved in tens of thousands of crashes. In 2021, there was a record 5,788 fatal crashes involving large trucks and about 110,000 injury crashes. While large trucks make up a small portion of vehicles on the road, they are involved in about 13–14% of all traffic fatalities.
What is the most common cause of truck accidents?
The most common cause of fatal truck accidents is other vehicles encroaching into the truck’s lane — responsible for 36% of fatal truck crashes in 2021. Driver-related factors like speeding, distraction, and careless driving were recorded in about 32% of fatal truck crashes, but the majority of fatal crashes often involve mistakes or errors from other drivers on the road.
Are trucks safer than cars in a crash?
Large trucks are generally less likely to be involved in fatal crashes per registered vehicle compared to passenger cars. In 2021, about 0.004% of large trucks were involved in fatal crashes, while 0.02% of passenger vehicles were involved — making passenger vehicles about five times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes. However, when a large truck is involved in a crash, the occupants of the other vehicle are much more likely to be killed or injured due to the truck’s massive size and weight.
How many semi-truck accidents per year?
In 2021, there were approximately 3,091 fatal crashes involving tractor/semi-trailer trucks (commonly called semi-trucks or 18-wheelers) in the U.S. Overall, combination trucks (which include semi-trucks) were involved in about 66% of all fatal large truck crashes that year, totaling over 3,400 fatal crashes.
How many truck drivers die a year?
In 2023, 961 truck drivers died in fatal crashes in the United States. However, passenger car occupants are more likely to die in fatal trucking accidents — there were 4,511 non-occupant fatalities (other car drivers or passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) in large truck accidents, suggesting that 82.4% of victims were not the truck driver or truck passengers.
How many semi-truck drivers die a year?
Most truck driver fatalities come from semi-truck (tractor-trailer) drivers, since semi-trucks make up the largest share of fatal large truck crashes. In 2023, a substantial portion of the 961 truck driver deaths were semi-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes.
How many truck accidents happen a year?
Each year, the U.S. sees over 5,000 fatal crashes, 110,000 injury crashes, and an estimated 412,000 property-damage-only (PDO) crashes involving large trucks. That’s over half a million truck-related crashes annually, highlighting the serious scale of trucking accidents across the country.