Fatality Facts 2020Large 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 percent more distance than cars to stop, and the discrepancy is greater on wet and slippery roads or with poorly maintained brakes. Truck driver fatigue also is 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, A. T., Hellinga L. A., & Solomon, M. G. (2008). Work schedules of long-distance truck drivers before and after 2004 hours-of-service rule change. Traffic Injury Prevention, 9, 201-210.

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Posted May 2022.

Where and when large truck crashes occurred

Forty-seven percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2020 occurred on major roads other than interstates and freeways, 36 percent occurred on interstates and freeways, and 15 percent occurred on minor roads.

Deaths in large truck crashes by road type, 2020
Road type Deaths %
Interstates and freeways 1,428 36
Other major roads 1,904 47
Minor roads 612 15
All road types* 4,014 100

Forty-eight percent of large truck crash deaths in 2020 occurred from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., compared with 28 percent of crash deaths not involving large trucks.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by time of day, 2020
Time of day Large truck crashes Other crashes All crashes
Deaths % Deaths % Deaths %
Midnight - 3 a.m. 319 8 3,948 11 4,267 11
3 a.m. - 6 a.m. 400 10 2,758 8 3,158 8
6 a.m. - 9 a.m. 601 15 2,853 8 3,454 9
9 a.m. - noon 654 16 2,759 8 3,413 9
Noon - 3 p.m. 688 17 4,125 12 4,813 12
3 p.m. - 6 p.m. 587 15 5,497 16 6,084 16
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. 391 10 6,622 19 7,013 18
9 p.m. - midnight 363 9 5,928 17 6,291 16
Total* 4,014 100 34,810 100 38,824 100

Seventeen percent of large truck crash deaths in 2020 occurred on Saturday and Sunday, compared with 35 percent of crash deaths not involving large trucks.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by day of week, 2020
Day of Week Large truck crashes Other crashes All crashes
Deaths % Deaths % Deaths %
Sunday 279 7 5,835 17 6,114 16
Monday 637 16 4,201 12 4,838 12
Tuesday 671 17 4,187 12 4,858 13
Wednesday 689 17 4,366 13 5,055 13
Thursday 681 17 4,540 13 5,221 13
Friday 665 17 5,361 15 6,026 16
Saturday 392 10 6,320 18 6,712 17
Total* 4,014 100 34,810 100 38,824 100

Comparison of large truck and passenger vehicle crashes

Fifty percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2020 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 (22 percent) involving rollovers.

Occupant deaths by rollover occurrence and vehicle type, 2020
Vehicle type No rollover Rollover All crashes
Number % Number % Number %
Large truck 302 50 306 50 608 100
SUV 3,445 60 2,312 40 5,757 100
Pickup 2,600 59 1,790 41 4,390 100
Car 10,590 78 2,988 22 13,578 100
Total* 23,154 74 7,961 26 31,115 100

Fifty-nine percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2020 occurred in single-vehicle crashes, compared with 47 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths.

Occupant deaths in large trucks and passenger vehicles by number of vehicles involved, 2020
Crash type Large truck occupants Passenger vehicle occupants
Number % Number %
Single-vehicle 360 59 11,250 47
Multiple-vehicle 248 41 12,769 53
All crashes* 608 100 24,019 100

Eighteen percent of large trucks in fatal crashes in 2020 were involved in single-vehicle crashes; in contrast, 37 percent of passenger vehicles in fatal crashes were involved in single-vehicle crashes.

Large truck and passenger vehicle involvement in fatal crashes by number of vehicles involved, 2020
Crash type Large trucks Passenger vehicles
Number % Number %
Single vehicle 689 18 15,859 37
Two vehicles 2,349 61 19,571 46
> 2 vehicles 836 22 6,934 16
All crashes* 3,874 100 42,364 100

Forty-seven percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2020 were using seat belts, which was similar to fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers (44 percent). However, belt use was unknown for 17 percent of fatally injured large truck drivers, compared with 10 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers.

Seat belt use among fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers, 2020
Belt use Large truck drivers Passenger vehicle drivers
Number % Number %
Belt used 262 47 8,086 44
Unbelted 199 36 8,360 46
Unknown 94 17 1,815 10
Total 555 100 18,261 100

Thirty percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes with a large truck in 2020 were in vehicles struck head-on by the truck and another 25 percent were in vehicles that were side-struck by the truck. Twenty-three 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, 2020
Large truck Passenger vehicle Total
Front Side Rear Other
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Front 632 30 522 25 145 7 18 1 1317 62
Side 246 12 35 2 7 <1 8 <1 296 14
Rear 487 23 7 <1 0 0 5 <1 499 23
Other 11 1 1 <1 0 0 5 <1 17 1
Total 1376 65 565 27 152 7 36 2 2129 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. However, the percentage of fatally injured large truck drivers with BACs at or above 0.08 percent more than doubled in 2020 to 7 percent, compared with 2019. That proportion is still far below the 17 percent seen in 1982. For comparison, 30 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2020 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, down from 51 percent in 1982.

Estimated percent and number of fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥0.08 percent, 1982-2020
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 555 41 7 18,261 5,550 30