Large trucks

Table of Contents

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 take 20-40 percent farther 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.

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

Posted December 2019.

Trends

A total of 4,136 people died in large truck crashes in 2018. Sixteen percent of these deaths were truck occupants, 67 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 15 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists. The number of people who died in large truck crashes was 31 percent higher in 2018 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 51 percent higher than in 2009.

Deaths in crashes involving large trucks, 1975-2018

Deaths in crashes involving large trucks, 1975-2018
Year	Passenger vehicle occupants		Large truck occupants		Motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians		Total*
Year	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	2,786	67	678	16	619	15	4,136	100

Ninety-six percent of vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2018 were occupants of the passenger vehicles.

Occupant deaths in two-vehicle crashes involving a large truck and a passenger vehicle, 2018
Occupant type	Deaths	%
Passenger vehicle occupants	2,133	96
Large truck occupants	79	4
All occupant deaths	2,212	100

Eleven percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2018 occurred in large truck crashes.

Motor vehicle crash deaths occurring in large truck crashes and other crashes, 2018
Crash type	Deaths	%
Large truck crashes	4,136	11
Other crashes	32,424	89
All crashes	36,560	100

Seventy-four percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2018 were in crashes involving tractor-trailers and 27 percent 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, 2018
Truck type	Deaths	%
Tractor-trailer	3,042	74
Single-unit	1,108	27
Truck type unknown	53	1

Sixty-two percent of large truck occupants killed in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2018 occurred in collisions involving another large truck.

Deaths of large truck occupants in multiple-vehicle crashes by number of large trucks involved, 2018
Number of large trucks	Deaths	%
1	106	38
≥ 2	171	62
Total	277	100

Twelve percent of all passenger vehicle occupant deaths and 22 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2018 occurred in crashes with large trucks.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths by crash type and large truck involvement, 2018
Crash type	Large truck crashes		Other crashes		All crashes
Crash type	Number	%	Number	%	Number
Single-vehicle	0	0	10,302	100	10,302
Multiple-vehicle	2,786	22	9,803	78	12,589
All crashes*	2,786	12	20,105	88	22,891

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.

Occupant deaths in large truck crashes per 100 million truck miles traveled

Occupant deaths in large truck crashes per 100 million truck miles traveled, 1975-2018
Year	Truck miles traveled in millions	Passenger vehicle occupants		Large truck occupants
Year	Truck miles traveled in millions	Number	Rate	Number	Rate
1975	81,330	2,757	3.39	916	1.13
1976	86,070	3,071	3.57	1,100	1.28
1977	95,021	3,631	3.82	1,229	1.29
1978	105,739	3,954	3.74	1,315	1.24
1979	109,004	4,226	3.88	1,372	1.26
1980	108,491	3,623	3.34	1,183	1.09
1981	108,702	3,752	3.45	1,082	1.00
1982	111,423	3,448	3.09	917	0.82
1983	116,132	3,615	3.11	960	0.83
1984	121,796	3,713	3.05	1,040	0.85
1985	123,504	3,825	3.10	941	0.76
1986	126,675	3,752	2.96	892	0.70
1987	133,517	3,833	2.87	821	0.61
1988	137,985	3,938	2.85	886	0.64
1989	142,749	3,847	2.69	822	0.58
1990	146,242	3,790	2.59	684	0.47
1991	149,543	3,447	2.31	650	0.43
1992	153,384	3,300	2.15	580	0.38
1993	159,888	3,611	2.26	590	0.37
1994	170,216	3,764	2.21	658	0.39
1995	178,162	3,626	2.04	634	0.36
1996	182,971	3,866	2.11	602	0.33
1997	191,477	3,992	2.08	717	0.37
1998	196,380	3,981	2.03	739	0.38
1999	202,688	3,916	1.93	747	0.37
2000	205,520	3,863	1.88	737	0.36
2001	209,032	3,709	1.77	691	0.33
2002	214,603	3,616	1.68	675	0.31
2003	217,917	3,595	1.65	703	0.32
2004	220,792	3,693	1.67	743	0.34
2005	222,523	3,584	1.61	758	0.34
2006	222,513	3,466	1.56	774	0.35
2007	304,178	3,234	1.06	745	0.24
2008	310,680	2,774	0.89	615	0.20
2009	288,306	2,223	0.77	449	0.16
2010	286,527	2,453	0.86	475	0.17
2011	267,594	2,245	0.84	555	0.21
2012	269,207	2,362	0.88	590	0.22
2013	275,017	2,418	0.88	589	0.21
2014	279,132	2,486	0.89	585	0.21
2015	279,844	2,667	0.95	598	0.21
2016	287,895	2,660	0.92	662	0.23
2017	297,593	2,809	0.94	680	0.23
2018	304,864	2,786	0.91	678	0.22

Where and when large truck crashes occurred

Fifty-two percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2018 occurred on major roads other than interstates and freeways, 33 percent occurred on interstates and freeways, and 14 percent occurred on minor roads.

Deaths in large truck crashes by road type, 2018
Road type	Deaths	%
Interstates and freeways	1,357	33
Other major roads	2,156	52
Minor roads	599	14
All road types*	4,136	100

Fifty percent of large truck crash deaths in 2018 occurred from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., compared with 30 percent of crash deaths not involving large trucks.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by time of day, 2018
Time of day	Large truck crashes		Other crashes		All crashes
Time of day	Deaths	%	Deaths	%	Deaths	%
Midnight – 3 a.m.	315	8	3,764	12	4,079	11
3 a.m. – 6 a.m.	452	11	2,543	8	2,995	8
6 a.m. – 9 a.m.	625	15	3,056	9	3,681	10
9 a.m. – noon	647	16	2,869	9	3,516	10
Noon – 3 p.m.	790	19	3,925	12	4,715	13
3 p.m. – 6 p.m.	613	15	5,055	16	5,668	16
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.	392	9	5,812	18	6,204	17
9 p.m. – midnight	297	7	5,154	16	5,451	15
Total*	4,136	100	32,424	100	36,560	100

Sixteen percent of large truck crash deaths in 2018 occurred on Saturday and Sunday, compared with 34 percent of crash deaths not involving large trucks.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by day of week, 2018
Day of Week	Large truck crashes		Other crashes		All crashes
Day of Week	Deaths	%	Deaths	%	Deaths	%
Sunday	288	7	5,272	16	5,560	15
Monday	682	16	4,236	13	4,918	13
Tuesday	706	17	3,945	12	4,651	13
Wednesday	703	17	3,919	12	4,622	13
Thursday	669	16	4,178	13	4,847	13
Friday	697	17	4,964	15	5,661	15
Saturday	391	9	5,910	18	6,301	17
Total*	4,136	100	32,424	100	36,560	100

Comparison of large truck and passenger vehicle crashes

Forty-five percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2018 occurred in crashes in which their vehicles rolled over. This was slightly 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 (20 percent) involving rollovers.

Occupant deaths by rollover occurrence and vehicle type, 2018
Vehicle type	No rollover		Rollover		All crashes
Vehicle type	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Large truck	374	55	304	45	678	100
SUV	2,940	58	2,095	42	5,035	100
Pickup	2,635	60	1,734	40	4,369	100
Car	10,489	80	2,649	20	13,138	100
Total*	22,006	75	7,200	25	29,206	100

Fifty-nine percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2018 occurred in single-vehicle crashes, compared with 45 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths.

Occupant deaths in large trucks and passenger vehicles by number of vehicles involved, 2018
Crash type	Large truck occupants		Passenger vehicle occupants
Crash type	Number	%	Number	%
Single-vehicle	401	59	10,302	45
Multiple-vehicle	277	41	12,589	55
All crashes*	678	100	22,891	100

Eighteen percent of large trucks in fatal crashes in 2018 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, 2018
Crash type	Large trucks		Passenger vehicles
Crash type	Number	%	Number	%
Single vehicle	707	18	15,012	37
Two vehicles	2,447	61	18,674	46
> 2 vehicles	872	22	7,239	18
All crashes*	4,026	100	40,925	100

Forty-nine percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2018 were using seat belts, the same proportion as fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers. However, belt use was unknown for 20 percent of fatally injured large truck drivers, compared with 8 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers.

Seat belt use among fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers, 2018
Belt use	Large truck drivers		Passenger vehicle drivers
Belt use	Number	%	Number	%
Belt used	284	49	8,374	49
Unbelted	181	31	7,370	43
Unknown	119	20	1,424	8
Total	584	100	17,168	100

Thirty-one percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes with a large truck in 2018 were in vehicles struck head-on by the truck and another 24 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, 2018
Large truck	Passenger vehicle								Total
	Front		Side		Rear		Other		Total
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Front	654	31	512	24	119	6	9	<1	1294	61
Side	256	12	34	2	1	<1	4	<1	295	14
Rear	481	23	13	1	0	0	1	<1	495	23
Other	25	1	8	<1	0	0	16	1	49	2
Total	1416	66	567	27	120	6	30	1	2133	100

Large truck drivers killed in fatal crashes rarely have high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Truck drivers are subject to strict government regulations concerning drinking and driving. Three percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2018 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, down from 17 percent in 1982. For comparison, 29 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2018 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, 1982-2018
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	584	18	3	17,168	4,946	29

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Large trucks

Overview

Trends

Where and when large truck crashes occurred

Comparison of large truck and passenger vehicle crashes

Regulations Section | Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Overview

Trends

Where and when large truck crashes occurred

Comparison of large truck and passenger vehicle crashes

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