Based on our research, there are more than 168k truck accidents every year, around 32% of which involve an injury and around 3% result in a fatality.
To better understand truck accidents, our team researched where and why they happen, how many people are injured or killed as a result, and the financial costs incurred.
For clarity purposes, we present data for all trucks below but we also break out of data for just semi-trucks.
A “large truck” is typically defined as a truck with a gross vehicle rating weight greater than 10,000 pounds. As such, all statistics in this section refer to this subset of vehicles. For example, lightweight pickup trucks like the Ford F-150 are excluded but larger pickups like the F-350 are included. We cover statistics exclusive to semi-trucks below.
There were 168,320 truck accidents in 2022. 4,766 of these accidents were fatal for one or more persons involved.1
Texas had the most truck accidents in 2022. California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Illinois rounded out the top five.1
RELATED: See our guides to car hauler insurance and the best commercial truck insurance companies.
76,180 individuals were injured in a truck accident in 2022.1
Roughly 71% of injuries are from occupants in other vehicles, while 27% of fatalities are occupants of the large truck. Around 2% are other individuals such as pedestrians or bicyclists.2
32% of truck accidents resulted in an injury in 2022. Out of the 168,320 accidents, 54,667 resulted in an injury.1
Note: The number of truck accidents resulting in an injury is lower than the number of individuals injured during a truck accident because multiple individuals can be injured in a single accident.
Texas had the most truck accidents with injuries followed by California, New York, Florida, and North Carolina.1
5,370 people were killed in truck accidents in 2022.1
While roughly 17% of fatalities are occupants of the large truck, approximately 72% are occupants in other vehicles. The remaining 11% are other individuals such as pedestrians or bicyclists.2
More than 1/3 of truckers killed during a crash are not buckled-up.3
Around 2.8% of truck accidents result in a fatality.1
2.4% of fatal truck accidents involved alcohol.1
Texas had the most fatal truck accidents in 2022 followed by California, Florida, Georgia, and Illinois.1
There were 5,250,766 accidents in 2020. Only 2.8% of these involved a large truck.1
There were 35,766 fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2020. Around 12.5% of these involved a large truck.1
116,353 semi-trucks were involved in an accident in 2022.1 Around 1 in 3 long-haul truckers will be involved in a serious truck accident during their career.3
In 2022, Texas had the most semi-truck accidents followed by California, Florida, Georgia, and Illinois.1
In 2022, approximately 30% of semi-trucks involved in an accident resulted in an injury.1
In 2022, Texas had the most semi-truck accidents with injuries with 5,846, more twice as many as California, which ranked second with 2,675 accidents with injuries.1
In 2022, approximately 3% of semi-trucks involved in an accident resulted in a fatality.1
In 2022, Texas had the most fatal semi-truck accidents followed by California, Florida, and Georgia.1
While verdicts and settlements of under $1 million are significantly more common than nuclear verdicts of over $10 million, fewer than 2% of reported insurance claims result in any litigation action at all.4
Trucking companies facing litigation for small verdicts and settlements (under $1 million) can expect $406k to $449k in plaintiff payments 95% of the time. For cases over $1M, the mean plaintiff payment was $3.1 million as of 2019.4
As a result of nuclear insurance verdicts, trucking companies have seen insurance premiums go up. Small fleets are the most affected.4
The American Transportation Research Institute found that most truck accident lawsuits had plaintiff payments of under $2 million, or where more than $5 million.4
Spin and roll accidents are by car the most expensive types of accidents in nuclear verdicts.4
Truck accidents lawsuits are significantly more expensive when children are involved.4
The cost of a truck accident lawsuit is significantly more expensive if a spinal cord injury is involved4
When just looking at cases that yielded a nuclear verdict, 100% of cases were ruled in favor of the plaintiff when the case involved HOS issues, driver history issues, controlled substance use, health related issues, or improper actions after the crash (like leaving the scene or not calling 911).4
Truck driving is consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous professions, which may not surprise most people. Long stretches on winding roads, the constant pressure to "make time," which leads to excessive working hours, and operating heavy machinery in isolation can foster a challenging workplace.
Motor vehicle workers are nine times more likely to be injured and 10 times more likely to be while working compared to the average worker, according to federal research. Traffic accidents are a significant reason for these figures.
In 2023, nearly 182,000 trucks were involved in crashes, resulting in about 5,000 deaths and more than 86,000 injuries, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency through which the USDOT tracks such statistics.
Such numbers are doubly concerning, given that truck drivers are essential workers. There is no American economy without truck drivers.
They are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, moving more than 70% of all freight nationwide. The COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized their importance, notably when air freight and commercial flights were grounded, resulting in supply chain issues. The greater economy had little choice but to lean on the trucking industry for aid.
The push to make driving safer for the trucking industry is ongoing. As of June 2023, the manufacturing of all new heavy-duty trucks must have automatic emergency braking systems, a safety technology the American Trucking AssociationAssociations supports. AEB can identify potential crashes and brake automatically. The technology can be beneficial in safeguarding against distracted driving and for drivers at risk of falling asleep at the wheel.
To find out more about accidents in the truck driving industry, Truckinfo.net used 2023 data from the Department of Transportation to rank all U.S. states by the per capita number of large truck-involved crashes that occurred in each. The data is preliminary and may be updated.
"Large trucks" typically refers to semis, but it includes all commercial trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds (5 tons). Per capita rankings find the number of crashes per 100,000 residents.
Rural states in the Great Plains/Midwest and Southeast regions are the most brutal for truck drivers, with six of the top 10 states on this list located in the Midwest/Great Plains area. The other four (and much of the top 20 overall) are all located in the Southeast.
- Crashes involving large trucks: 50 (6.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 4 (8% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 12
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 5
- Crashes involving large trucks: 183 (12.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 5 (2.7% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 132
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 5
- Crashes involving large trucks: 183 (16.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 4 (2.2% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 135
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 4
- Crashes involving large trucks: 747 (23.4 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 40 (5.4% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 421
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 47
- Crashes involving large trucks: 4,643 (23.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 106 (2.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 5,841
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 118
- Crashes involving large trucks: 173 (26.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 5 (2.9% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 59
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 5
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,513 (27 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 29 (1.2% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,637
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 29
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,125 (27.2 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 66 (3.1% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 436
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 75
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,655 (28.2 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 76 (4.6% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 463
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 82
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,008 (28.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 27 (1.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,076
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 28
- Crashes involving large trucks: 433 (30.9 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 10 (2.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 155
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 11
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,098 (32.1 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 54 (4.9% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 505
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 60
- Crashes involving large trucks: 13,007 (33.4 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 323 (2.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 5,849
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 355
- Crashes involving large trucks: 228 (33.6 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 2 (0.9% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 130
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 2
- Crashes involving large trucks: 704 (35.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 46 (6.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 441
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 59
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,754 (37.1 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 125 (4.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 520
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 146
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,341 (40.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 62 (2.6% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 858
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 67
- Crashes involving large trucks: 887 (42 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 53 (6% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 461
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 53
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,507 (42.4 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 71 (2.8% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 976
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 78
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,831 (43.3 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 70 (3.8% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 636
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 88
- Crashes involving large trucks: 10,417 (46.1 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 300 (2.9% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 5,532
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 321
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,724 (47.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 22 (1.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 723
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 25
- Crashes involving large trucks: 5,982 (50.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 138 (2.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 3,072
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 157
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,176 (53.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 72 (3.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 964
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 81
- Crashes involving large trucks: 962 (54.3 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 31 (3.2% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 432
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 35
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,096 (55.4 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 42 (3.8% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 550
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 51
- Crashes involving large trucks: 6,971 (55.5 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 161 (2.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 3,827
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 181
- Crashes involving large trucks: 790 (56.6 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 12 (1.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 445
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 12
- Crashes involving large trucks: 7,511 (57.9 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 149 (2% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 3,519
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 170
- Crashes involving large trucks: 3,601 (58.3 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 55 (1.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,956
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 57
- Crashes involving large trucks: 605 (58.6 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 2 (0.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 343
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 2
- Crashes involving large trucks: 540 (58.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 20 (3.7% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 45
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 22
- Crashes involving large trucks: 5,900 (58.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 83 (1.4% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,843
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 93
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,754 (59.6 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 68 (3.9% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 577
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 80
- Crashes involving large trucks: 6,541 (60.4 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 150 (2.3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 4,741
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 167
- Crashes involving large trucks: 3,260 (60.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 100 (3.1% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 2,065
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 111
- Crashes involving large trucks: 4,384 (61.5 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 152 (3.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,997
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 170
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,831 (62.3 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 54 (2.9% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,113
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 60
- Crashes involving large trucks: 5,662 (65 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 107 (1.9% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 2,488
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 117
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,131 (66.4 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 68 (3.2% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 844
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 83
- Crashes involving large trucks: 20,507 (67.2 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 633 (3.1% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 12,242
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 708
- Crashes involving large trucks: 3,126 (69.1 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 93 (3% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,526
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 101
- Crashes involving large trucks: 786 (69.4 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 20 (2.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 274
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 22
- Crashes involving large trucks: 3,617 (70.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 111 (3.1% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,605
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 121
- Crashes involving large trucks: 5,234 (76.3 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 116 (2.2% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,799
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 121
- Crashes involving large trucks: 614 (78.3 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 22 (3.6% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 198
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 24
- Crashes involving large trucks: 8,798 (79.8 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 186 (2.1% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 4,127
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 203
- Crashes involving large trucks: 3,673 (80.3 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 92 (2.5% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 2,555
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 104
#3. Missouri
- Crashes involving large trucks: 5,436 (87.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 118 (2.2% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 2,504
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 126
- Crashes involving large trucks: 2,874 (93.7 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 89 (3.1% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 1,294
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 96
- Crashes involving large trucks: 1,058 (181.1 per 100,000 residents)
--- Fatal crashes: 29 (2.7% of all crashes involving large trucks)
--- Number of injuries resulting from a crash: 351
--- Number of fatalities resulting from a crash: 37