Fatality Facts 2022Large trucks
Overview
Most deaths in large truck crashes are passenger vehicle occupants. The main problem is the vulnerability of people traveling in smaller vehicles. Trucks often weigh 20-30 times as much as passenger cars and are taller with greater ground clearance, which can result in smaller vehicles underriding trucks in crashes.
Truck braking capability can be a factor in truck crashes. Loaded tractor-trailers require 20%-40% more distance than cars to stop, and the discrepancy is greater on wet and slippery roads or with poorly maintained brakes. Truck driver fatigue is also a known crash risk. Drivers of large trucks are allowed by federal hours-of-service regulations to drive up to 11 hours at a stretch. Surveys indicate that many drivers violate the regulations and work longer than permitted (McCartt et al., 2008).
The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
Posted June 2024.
Trends
A total of 4,764 people died in large truck crashes in 2022. Seventeen percent of these deaths were truck occupants, 66% were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 16% were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists. The number of people who died in large truck crashes was 51% higher in 2022 than in 2009, when it was the lowest it has been since the collection of fatal crash data began in 1975. The number of truck occupants who died was 83% higher than in 2009.
Deaths in crashes involving large trucks, 1975-2022 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Passenger vehicle occupants | Large truck occupants | Motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians | Total* | ||||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
1975 | 2,757 | 64 | 916 | 21 | 528 | 12 | 4,305 | 100 |
1976 | 3,071 | 63 | 1,100 | 22 | 622 | 13 | 4,893 | 100 |
1977 | 3,631 | 65 | 1,229 | 22 | 653 | 12 | 5,614 | 100 |
1978 | 3,954 | 64 | 1,315 | 21 | 776 | 13 | 6,160 | 100 |
1979 | 4,226 | 65 | 1,372 | 21 | 830 | 13 | 6,539 | 100 |
1980 | 3,623 | 63 | 1,183 | 21 | 844 | 15 | 5,740 | 100 |
1981 | 3,752 | 66 | 1,082 | 19 | 772 | 14 | 5,680 | 100 |
1982 | 3,448 | 67 | 917 | 18 | 679 | 13 | 5,125 | 100 |
1983 | 3,615 | 67 | 960 | 18 | 732 | 14 | 5,404 | 100 |
1984 | 3,713 | 67 | 1,040 | 19 | 712 | 13 | 5,550 | 100 |
1985 | 3,825 | 68 | 941 | 17 | 724 | 13 | 5,613 | 100 |
1986 | 3,752 | 69 | 892 | 16 | 718 | 13 | 5,468 | 100 |
1987 | 3,833 | 70 | 821 | 15 | 712 | 13 | 5,471 | 100 |
1988 | 3,938 | 71 | 886 | 16 | 647 | 12 | 5,566 | 100 |
1989 | 3,847 | 72 | 822 | 15 | 587 | 11 | 5,360 | 100 |
1990 | 3,790 | 73 | 684 | 13 | 615 | 12 | 5,174 | 100 |
1991 | 3,447 | 73 | 650 | 14 | 562 | 12 | 4,728 | 100 |
1992 | 3,300 | 75 | 580 | 13 | 481 | 11 | 4,422 | 100 |
1993 | 3,611 | 76 | 590 | 12 | 462 | 10 | 4,778 | 100 |
1994 | 3,764 | 74 | 658 | 13 | 555 | 11 | 5,069 | 100 |
1995 | 3,626 | 75 | 634 | 13 | 495 | 10 | 4,834 | 100 |
1996 | 3,866 | 77 | 602 | 12 | 465 | 9 | 5,048 | 100 |
1997 | 3,992 | 75 | 717 | 14 | 497 | 9 | 5,295 | 100 |
1998 | 3,981 | 75 | 739 | 14 | 495 | 9 | 5,316 | 100 |
1999 | 3,916 | 74 | 747 | 14 | 519 | 10 | 5,299 | 100 |
2000 | 3,863 | 75 | 737 | 14 | 490 | 9 | 5,173 | 100 |
2001 | 3,709 | 74 | 691 | 14 | 513 | 10 | 5,012 | 100 |
2002 | 3,616 | 75 | 675 | 14 | 464 | 10 | 4,846 | 100 |
2003 | 3,595 | 73 | 703 | 14 | 504 | 10 | 4,905 | 100 |
2004 | 3,693 | 72 | 743 | 15 | 564 | 11 | 5,099 | 100 |
2005 | 3,584 | 71 | 758 | 15 | 595 | 12 | 5,049 | 100 |
2006 | 3,466 | 71 | 774 | 16 | 564 | 12 | 4,886 | 100 |
2007 | 3,234 | 70 | 745 | 16 | 578 | 13 | 4,613 | 100 |
2008 | 2,774 | 69 | 615 | 15 | 580 | 14 | 4,017 | 100 |
2009 | 2,223 | 71 | 449 | 14 | 443 | 14 | 3,147 | 100 |
2010 | 2,453 | 72 | 475 | 14 | 445 | 13 | 3,418 | 100 |
2011 | 2,245 | 66 | 555 | 16 | 530 | 16 | 3,384 | 100 |
2012 | 2,362 | 67 | 590 | 17 | 537 | 15 | 3,529 | 100 |
2013 | 2,418 | 67 | 589 | 16 | 560 | 15 | 3,616 | 100 |
2014 | 2,486 | 68 | 585 | 16 | 535 | 15 | 3,663 | 100 |
2015 | 2,667 | 69 | 598 | 15 | 568 | 15 | 3,876 | 100 |
2016 | 2,660 | 66 | 662 | 16 | 641 | 16 | 4,023 | 100 |
2017 | 2,809 | 68 | 680 | 17 | 587 | 14 | 4,115 | 100 |
2018 | 2,810 | 67 | 677 | 16 | 624 | 15 | 4,164 | 100 |
2019 | 2,772 | 67 | 680 | 16 | 636 | 15 | 4,142 | 100 |
2020 | 2,725 | 67 | 609 | 15 | 650 | 16 | 4,038 | 100 |
2021 | 3,243 | 68 | 759 | 16 | 702 | 15 | 4,746 | 100 |
2022 | 3,124 | 66 | 823 | 17 | 755 | 16 | 4,764 | 100 |
*Total includes other and/or unknowns |
Among vehicle occupants killed in large truck crashes, both the rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per truck mile traveled and the rate of large truck occupant deaths per truck mile traveled have declined substantially since 1975. This decline stopped around 2009, and rates have varied little since then (Federal Highway Administration, 2024).
Occupant deaths in large truck crashes per 100 million truck miles traveled, 1975-2022 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Truck miles traveled in millions | Large truck occupants | Passenger vehicle occupants | ||
Number | Rate | Number | Rate | ||
1975 | 81,330 | 916 | 1.13 | 2,757 | 3.39 |
1976 | 86,070 | 1,100 | 1.28 | 3,071 | 3.57 |
1977 | 95,021 | 1,229 | 1.29 | 3,631 | 3.82 |
1978 | 105,739 | 1,315 | 1.24 | 3,954 | 3.74 |
1979 | 109,004 | 1,372 | 1.26 | 4,226 | 3.88 |
1980 | 108,491 | 1,183 | 1.09 | 3,623 | 3.34 |
1981 | 108,702 | 1,082 | 1.00 | 3,752 | 3.45 |
1982 | 111,423 | 917 | 0.82 | 3,448 | 3.09 |
1983 | 116,132 | 960 | 0.83 | 3,615 | 3.11 |
1984 | 121,796 | 1,040 | 0.85 | 3,713 | 3.05 |
1985 | 123,504 | 941 | 0.76 | 3,825 | 3.10 |
1986 | 126,675 | 892 | 0.70 | 3,752 | 2.96 |
1987 | 133,517 | 821 | 0.61 | 3,833 | 2.87 |
1988 | 137,985 | 886 | 0.64 | 3,938 | 2.85 |
1989 | 142,749 | 822 | 0.58 | 3,847 | 2.69 |
1990 | 146,242 | 684 | 0.47 | 3,790 | 2.59 |
1991 | 149,543 | 650 | 0.43 | 3,447 | 2.31 |
1992 | 153,384 | 580 | 0.38 | 3,300 | 2.15 |
1993 | 159,888 | 590 | 0.37 | 3,611 | 2.26 |
1994 | 170,216 | 658 | 0.39 | 3,764 | 2.21 |
1995 | 178,162 | 634 | 0.36 | 3,626 | 2.04 |
1996 | 182,971 | 602 | 0.33 | 3,866 | 2.11 |
1997 | 191,477 | 717 | 0.37 | 3,992 | 2.08 |
1998 | 196,380 | 739 | 0.38 | 3,981 | 2.03 |
1999 | 202,688 | 747 | 0.37 | 3,916 | 1.93 |
2000 | 205,520 | 737 | 0.36 | 3,863 | 1.88 |
2001 | 209,032 | 691 | 0.33 | 3,709 | 1.77 |
2002 | 214,603 | 675 | 0.31 | 3,616 | 1.68 |
2003 | 217,917 | 703 | 0.32 | 3,595 | 1.65 |
2004 | 220,792 | 743 | 0.34 | 3,693 | 1.67 |
2005 | 222,523 | 758 | 0.34 | 3,584 | 1.61 |
2006 | 222,513 | 774 | 0.35 | 3,466 | 1.56 |
2007 | 304,178 | 745 | 0.24 | 3,234 | 1.06 |
2008 | 310,680 | 615 | 0.20 | 2,774 | 0.89 |
2009 | 288,306 | 449 | 0.16 | 2,223 | 0.77 |
2010 | 286,527 | 475 | 0.17 | 2,453 | 0.86 |
2011 | 267,594 | 555 | 0.21 | 2,245 | 0.84 |
2012 | 269,207 | 590 | 0.22 | 2,362 | 0.88 |
2013 | 275,017 | 589 | 0.21 | 2,418 | 0.88 |
2014 | 279,132 | 585 | 0.21 | 2,486 | 0.89 |
2015 | 279,844 | 598 | 0.21 | 2,667 | 0.95 |
2016 | 287,895 | 662 | 0.23 | 2,660 | 0.92 |
2017 | 297,593 | 680 | 0.23 | 2,809 | 0.94 |
2018 | 304,864 | 677 | 0.22 | 2,810 | 0.92 |
2019 | 300,050 | 680 | 0.23 | 2,772 | 0.92 |
2020 | 302,141 | 609 | 0.20 | 2,725 | 0.90 |
2021 | 327,026 | 759 | 0.23 | 3,243 | 0.99 |
2022 | 331,272 | 823 | 0.25 | 3,124 | 0.94 |
NOTE: The method of estimating truck miles traveled was changed beginning in 2007, and these results are not comparable to those of past years. For more information, visit https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm |
Crash types
Eleven percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2022 occurred in large truck crashes.
Motor vehicle crash deaths occurring in large truck crashes and other crashes, 2022 | ||
---|---|---|
Crash type | Deaths | % |
Large truck crashes | 4,764 | 11 |
Other crashes | 37,750 | 89 |
All crashes | 42,514 | 100 |
Seventy-three percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2022 were in crashes involving tractor-trailers and 28% were in crashes involving single-unit trucks. Some crashes involved both a tractor-trailer and a single-unit truck.
Deaths in large truck crashes by truck type involved, 2022 | ||
---|---|---|
Truck type | Deaths | % |
Tractor-trailer | 3,475 | 73 |
Single-unit | 1,353 | 28 |
Truck type unknown | 68 | 1 |
NOTE: More than one large truck may be involved in a single crash and the deaths associated with that crash. |
Sixty-one percent of large truck occupants killed in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2022 occurred in collisions involving another large truck.
Deaths of large truck occupants in multiple-vehicle crashes by number of large trucks involved, 2022 | ||
---|---|---|
Number of large trucks | Deaths | % |
1 | 142 | 39 |
≥ 2 | 219 | 61 |
Total | 361 | 100 |
Where and when large truck crashes occurred
Forty-nine percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2022 occurred on major roads other than interstates and freeways, 35% occurred on interstates and freeways, and 16% occurred on minor roads.
Deaths in large truck crashes by road type, 2022 | ||
---|---|---|
Road type | Deaths | % |
Interstates and freeways | 1,688 | 35 |
Other major roads | 2,318 | 49 |
Minor roads | 741 | 16 |
All road types* | 4,764 | 100 |
*Total includes other and/or unknowns |
Forty-seven percent of large truck crash deaths in 2022 occurred from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., compared with 28% of crash deaths not involving large trucks.
Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by time of day, 2022 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time of day | Large truck crashes | Other crashes | All crashes | |||
Deaths | % | Deaths | % | Deaths | % | |
Midnight - 3 a.m. | 465 | 10 | 4,796 | 13 | 5,261 | 12 |
3 a.m. - 6 a.m. | 528 | 11 | 3,099 | 8 | 3,627 | 9 |
6 a.m. - 9 a.m. | 727 | 15 | 3,332 | 9 | 4,059 | 10 |
9 a.m. - noon | 717 | 15 | 3,091 | 8 | 3,808 | 9 |
Noon - 3 p.m. | 805 | 17 | 4,284 | 11 | 5,089 | 12 |
3 p.m. - 6 p.m. | 645 | 14 | 5,692 | 15 | 6,337 | 15 |
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | 454 | 10 | 6,875 | 18 | 7,329 | 17 |
9 p.m. - midnight | 414 | 9 | 6,264 | 17 | 6,678 | 16 |
Total* | 4,764 | 100 | 37,750 | 100 | 42,514 | 100 |
*Total includes other and/or unknowns |
Seventeen percent of large truck crash deaths in 2022 occurred on Saturday and Sunday, compared with 36% of crash deaths not involving large trucks.
Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by day of week, 2022 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day of Week | Large truck crashes | Other crashes | All crashes | |||
Deaths | % | Deaths | % | Deaths | % | |
Sunday | 328 | 7 | 6,290 | 17 | 6,618 | 16 |
Monday | 783 | 16 | 4,589 | 12 | 5,372 | 13 |
Tuesday | 813 | 17 | 4,452 | 12 | 5,265 | 12 |
Wednesday | 777 | 16 | 4,692 | 12 | 5,469 | 13 |
Thursday | 782 | 16 | 4,854 | 13 | 5,636 | 13 |
Friday | 813 | 17 | 5,659 | 15 | 6,472 | 15 |
Saturday | 468 | 10 | 7,214 | 19 | 7,682 | 18 |
Total* | 4,764 | 100 | 37,750 | 100 | 42,514 | 100 |
*Total includes other and/or unknowns |
Comparison of large truck and passenger vehicle crashes
Ninety-six percent of vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2022 were occupants of the passenger vehicles.
Occupant deaths in two-vehicle crashes involving a large truck and a passenger vehicle, 2022 | ||
---|---|---|
Occupant type | Deaths | % |
Passenger vehicle occupants | 2,418 | 96 |
Large truck occupants | 105 | 4 |
All occupant deaths | 2,523 | 100 |
Fifty percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2022 occurred in crashes in which their vehicles rolled over. This was higher than the percentage of SUV occupant deaths and pickup occupant deaths that occurred in rollover crashes and much higher than the percentage of occupant deaths in cars (21%) involving rollovers.
Occupant deaths by rollover occurrence and vehicle type, 2022 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vehicle type | No rollover | Rollover | All crashes | |||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Large truck | 411 | 50 | 412 | 50 | 823 | 100 |
SUV | 4,267 | 63 | 2,536 | 37 | 6,803 | 100 |
Pickup | 2,860 | 61 | 1,841 | 39 | 4,701 | 100 |
Car | 10,895 | 79 | 2,925 | 21 | 13,820 | 100 |
Total* | 25,320 | 75 | 8,242 | 25 | 33,562 | 100 |
*Total includes other and/or unknowns |
Fifty-six percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2022 occurred in single-vehicle crashes, compared with 45% of passenger vehicle occupant deaths.
Occupant deaths in large trucks and passenger vehicles by number of vehicles involved, 2022 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Crash type | Large truck occupants | Passenger vehicle occupants | ||
Number | % | Number | % | |
Single-vehicle | 462 | 56 | 11,457 | 45 |
Multiple-vehicle | 361 | 44 | 14,269 | 55 |
All crashes* | 823 | 100 | 25,726 | 100 |
*Total includes other and/or unknowns |
Forty-four percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2022 were using seat belts, which was similar to fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers (45%). However, belt use was unknown for 19% of fatally injured large truck drivers, compared with 10% of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers.
Seat belt use among fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers, 2022 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Belt use | Large truck drivers | Passenger vehicle drivers | ||
Number | % | Number | % | |
Belt used | 320 | 44 | 8,841 | 45 |
Unbelted | 266 | 37 | 8,714 | 45 |
Unknown | 141 | 19 | 2,010 | 10 |
Total | 727 | 100 | 19,565 | 100 |
Thirty-two percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes with a large truck in 2022 were in vehicles struck head-on by the truck and another 25% were in vehicles that were side-struck by the truck. Twenty-one percent involved the front of the passenger vehicle striking the rear of the large truck.
Passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2-vehicle crashes with a large truck, 2022 | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Large truck | Passenger vehicle | Total | ||||||||
Front | Side | Rear | Other | |||||||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Front | 768 | 32 | 594 | 25 | 139 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 1,520 | 63 |
Side | 281 | 12 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | <1 | 329 | 14 |
Rear | 510 | 21 | 18 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 3 | <1 | 532 | 22 |
Other | 21 | 1 | 3 | <1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 37 | 2 |
Total | 1,580 | 65 | 655 | 27 | 140 | 6 | 43 | 2 | 2,418 | 100 |
Large truck drivers killed in fatal crashes are much less likely than passenger vehicle drivers to have high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Truck drivers are subject to strict government regulations concerning drinking and driving. Four percent of fatally injured large truck drivers had BACs at or above 0.08% in 2022. That proportion is far below the 17% seen in 1982. For comparison, 31% of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2022 had BACs at or above 0.08%, down from 51% in 1982.
Estimated percent and number of fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥0.08%, 1982-2022 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Large truck drivers | Passenger vehicle drivers | ||||
Deaths | Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08 | Deaths | Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08 | |||
Number | Number | % | Number | Number | % | |
1982 | 735 | 123 | 17 | 19,664 | 10,024 | 51 |
1983 | 767 | 115 | 15 | 19,338 | 9,529 | 49 |
1984 | 859 | 107 | 12 | 20,300 | 9,379 | 46 |
1985 | 775 | 84 | 11 | 20,058 | 8,674 | 43 |
1986 | 736 | 58 | 8 | 21,503 | 9,396 | 44 |
1987 | 686 | 53 | 8 | 22,157 | 9,343 | 42 |
1988 | 743 | 66 | 9 | 22,884 | 9,580 | 42 |
1989 | 681 | 68 | 10 | 22,554 | 9,200 | 41 |
1990 | 570 | 50 | 9 | 21,953 | 8,973 | 41 |
1991 | 550 | 39 | 7 | 20,551 | 8,242 | 40 |
1992 | 506 | 26 | 5 | 19,573 | 7,434 | 38 |
1993 | 504 | 26 | 5 | 20,036 | 7,328 | 37 |
1994 | 545 | 36 | 7 | 20,647 | 7,083 | 34 |
1995 | 546 | 31 | 6 | 21,457 | 7,488 | 35 |
1996 | 525 | 34 | 6 | 21,631 | 7,336 | 34 |
1997 | 616 | 19 | 3 | 21,711 | 7,069 | 33 |
1998 | 628 | 30 | 5 | 21,627 | 6,944 | 32 |
1999 | 631 | 28 | 4 | 21,899 | 6,994 | 32 |
2000 | 641 | 28 | 4 | 21,819 | 7,127 | 33 |
2001 | 591 | 22 | 4 | 21,862 | 7,205 | 33 |
2002 | 582 | 38 | 7 | 22,537 | 7,381 | 33 |
2003 | 608 | 23 | 4 | 22,200 | 7,120 | 32 |
2004 | 624 | 24 | 4 | 21,952 | 6,952 | 32 |
2005 | 663 | 22 | 3 | 21,953 | 7,104 | 32 |
2006 | 678 | 30 | 4 | 21,592 | 7,164 | 33 |
2007 | 663 | 17 | 3 | 20,542 | 7,057 | 34 |
2008 | 534 | 19 | 4 | 18,266 | 6,280 | 34 |
2009 | 399 | 16 | 4 | 16,834 | 5,791 | 34 |
2010 | 426 | 17 | 4 | 16,029 | 5,177 | 32 |
2011 | 493 | 9 | 2 | 15,561 | 5,064 | 33 |
2012 | 524 | 14 | 3 | 15,915 | 5,204 | 33 |
2013 | 529 | 17 | 3 | 15,577 | 5,108 | 33 |
2014 | 536 | 16 | 3 | 15,495 | 4,906 | 32 |
2015 | 536 | 16 | 3 | 16,629 | 4,916 | 30 |
2016 | 590 | 17 | 3 | 17,641 | 5,149 | 29 |
2017 | 604 | 29 | 5 | 17,751 | 5,116 | 29 |
2018 | 583 | 18 | 3 | 17,263 | 4,957 | 29 |
2019 | 601 | 15 | 3 | 16,878 | 4,791 | 28 |
2020 | 556 | 40 | 7 | 18,316 | 5,540 | 30 |
2021 | 672 | 32 | 5 | 20,349 | 6,191 | 30 |
2022 | 727 | 27 | 4 | 19,565 | 6,042 | 31 |