U.S. Large Truck Accidents Statistics: Recent Trends & Insights (2022–2024)

Summary

• In 2021, ~74% of fatal crashes had “collision with vehicle in transport” as the first harmful event (i.e. truck collided with another moving vehicle).
• About 63% of truck accidents in fatal crashes had a critical pre-crash event originating from another vehicle, object, or person encroaching into the truck’s lane; 24% had their own loss-of-control as the critical event.
• Rollovers and non-collision events accounted for smaller shares, but their consequences can be severe.

Though FMCSA’s newer Crash Facts 2022–2023 reports are not fully released in detailed public form, aggregated crash-type trends in the 2024 Safety Research Forum show continued dominance of vehicle-collision events in truck crashes.

What constitutes a “large truck / commercial heavy truck”?

In U.S. federal regulation and safety reporting, a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) or “large truck” generally refers to a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) above a certain threshold—often 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg) or more.

However, many of FMCSA’s detailed safety studies and statistics focus especially on heavy-duty truck accidents (Class 7 and Class 8), with GVWR of 26,001 pounds (≈11,793 kg) or more. These heavier rigs are of particular concern in accident statistics, because their size, braking distances, and kinetic energy make them disproportionately hazardous in severe collisions.

Beyond weight, the “commercial” designation implies usage in transportation of goods, logistics, or other business operations—hence the vehicle is subject to additional regulation (e.g. driver qualification, hours-of-service limits, maintenance records). FMCSA classifies and monitors such truck accidents separately from private passenger cars or light truck accidents.

Role & Responsibilities of FMCSA

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the U.S. Department of Transportation agency charged with reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Its core responsibilities include:

• Developing and enforcing safety regulations (e.g. hours-of-service, vehicle maintenance, driver qualification).
• Conducting roadside inspections and audits, issuing compliance orders, and suspending unsafe carriers.
• Collecting and analyzing crash, inspection, and violation data via systems such as MCMIS (Motor Carrier Management Information System), SMS (Safety Measurement System), and A&I Crash Statistics.
• Funding and supporting safety research initiatives (e.g. Crash Causal Factors Program, LTCCS) to better understand root causes.
• Using data-driven approaches to identify high-risk carriers, routes, or vehicles and deploying interventions accordingly.

Recent Trends (2022–2024)

Because of delays in crash data processing, the most up-to-date FMCSA figures may be preliminary; nonetheless, recent published records and agency reports allow us to sketch the recent direction.

Fatal crashes & fatalities

According to the FMCSA March 2024 progress report, for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the totals for large trucks and buses crashed and fatalities are: Year Crashes (large trucks & buses)

Note: The table shows combined truck + bus; FMCSA’s breakdown indicates large truck accidents account for most fatalities.

In 2023, the number of truck occupant fatalities decreased by 11% relative to 2022, dropping to ~4,807—reportedly the lowest since 2018.

General traffic fatality trends (not limited to trucks) show U.S. traffic deaths falling from 40,901 in 2023 to an estimated 39,345 in 2024—down ~3.8%.

These downward trends suggest some moderation of risk, though they follow a sharp spike in 2021 and 2022. The 2024 data are preliminary and subject to upward revision.

Note: The data for 2023 is based on preliminary estimates and may be subject to revisions.

Injury crashes & nonfatal trends

• In 2023, there were approximately 74,001 injuries resulting from crashes involving at least one large truck.
• The FMCSA’s Pocket Guide 2023 also compiles injury and property damage statistics, though more aggregated across years.
• In the FMCSA progress report, combining truck accidents and buses, the injury totals were:
• 2022: ~80,959 injuries
• 2023: ~76,550 injuries

The data suggest downward movement in injury counts, consistent with fatality declines. However, it is important to note that reporting lags and classification differences can affect year-to-year comparability.

Relationship with vehicle registration & mileage, and crash rates

• FMCSA’s Pocket Guide reports that the total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by large truck accidents has been gradually increasing, as freight demand and logistics activity grow.
• The crash rate per 100 million VMT is a critical metric for normalizing across increasing travel volumes. FMCSA’s historical Trends Table 1 shows changes over decades, but for the 2022–2023 period, raw crash counts and fatalities are more commonly reported.
• Preliminary data also show that in 2024, total crashes involving large truck accidents and buses fell to ~170,525 (down from ~183,328 in 2023).

Thus, while exposure (truck miles driven) likely continued to rise or remain high, declines in crash counts and fatalities suggest some improvement in risk per mile—though further adjustment and caution are needed due to data lags.

Vehicle Characteristics & Crash Patterns

Truck types / configurations in crashes

FMCSA’s historical data (e.g. Crash Facts 2021) show that combination vehicles (tractor-trailer setups) have consistently comprised the majority of truck accidents involved in fatal crashes. In 2021, “singles” (single-trailer) made up ~54%, “doubles” ~2%, and “triples” ~0.1%. That pattern likely continues in subsequent years, though FMCSA’s 2022/2023 Crash Facts issues have less publicly detailed breakdowns.

Hazardous materials (HazMat) involvement

In 2021, about 3% of large truck accidents in fatal crashes were carrying placarded hazardous materials (HM). Of those, ~17% experienced a release of HM cargo. Flammable liquids (gasoline, fuel) accounted for 42% of HM releases in fatal crashes.
Updated percentages for 2022–2023 are less explicitly given in publicly released summaries, though HM involvement remains a small but high-consequence subset.

Vehicle-related failure factors

In FMCSA’s 2021 data, only ~4% of fatal crashes with large truck accidents had a coded vehicle-related factor (e.g. tires, brake system). Among those, tire issues and brake system defects were most common (~1% each).
Similarly, in nonfatal crashes, vehicle defects are a minority of coded contributing factors. Given stricter inspection regimes and maintenance standards, these proportions have generally remained stable.

State & Regional Variation

FMCSA and Crash Facts reports often include state-level breakdowns, though detailed 2022–2023 state maps are pending full publication. The Pocket Guide provides some distributions by region and state.

In absolute numbers, populous and high-freight states (California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania) tend to show the highest counts of fatal large-truck crashes.

When normalized (per capita, per VMT), lower-density states or regions with challenging terrain (mountainous or rural) may exhibit elevated crash rates.

Differences in state enforcement, roadway quality, speed limits, and weather variability contribute to regional risk heterogeneity.

For Drivers and Operators: Preventing Truck Accidents at the Individual Level

For individual truck drivers and operators, preventing Truck Accidents starts with maintaining a strong focus on safety every mile of the journey. Heavy commercial vehicles demand longer stopping distances, wider turning radiuses, and greater attention to blind spots compared to passenger cars. Understanding these challenges and driving defensively can significantly reduce the risk of collisions.

Regular vehicle inspections are critical — checking brakes, tires, lights, and coupling systems before every trip can help detect potential failures early. Drivers should also monitor fatigue closely; drowsy driving is one of the leading contributors to truck accidents. Following Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations and taking adequate rest breaks are not just compliance measures but essential safety practices.

In addition, staying free from distractions — such as mobile phones or in-cab devices — and avoiding aggressive maneuvers like sudden lane changes or speeding are crucial steps in accident prevention. Continuous training on load securement, weather-related driving adjustments, and emergency handling also enhances a driver’s ability to react appropriately in unexpected situations.

Ultimately, preventing Truck Accidents at the individual level is about responsibility, awareness, and consistency. Each driver plays a direct role in protecting lives on the road — including their own.