Truck Accident Statistics

^A large truck is defined as a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 10,000 pounds.

Truck Accident Statistics

Truck Crashes - Semi Trucks Crashes

In 2015, large trucks were involved in:

415,000 police-reported crashes
4,050 fatal crashes
87,000 crashes causing injuries
342,000 crashes causing property damage

People died in large truck crashes in 2015:

16% of these deaths were truck occupants.
69% were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles.
15% were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists.

The circumstances of large truck crashes

The vast majority of fatal crashes (83 percent) and nonfatal crashes (89 percent) involving large trucks occurred on weekdays.
Approximately 60 percent of all fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on rural roads.
Approximately 25 percent of all fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on rural or urban Interstate highways.

Leading causes of semi-truck accidents in the U.S.:

26% caused by prescription drug use
23% caused by traveling too fast
17% caused by over-the-counter drugs
13% caused by fatigue
8% caused by alcohol
3% caused by illegal drug use

Large Trucks in Fatal Crashes by Most Harmful Event

Most Harmful Event

 

Number

Percent

Collision with Vehicle in Transport

3,033

74.9%

Collision with Fixed Object

162

4.0%

Collision with Pedestrian

296

7.3%

Overturn (Rollover)

272

6.7%

Collision with Pedalcycle or Other Personal Conveyance

63

1.6%

Collision with Parked Motor Vehicle

19

0.5%

Collision with Train

4

0.1%

Collision with Other Object

60

1.5%

Collision with Animal

1

*

Jackknife

3

0.1%

Explosion/Fire

110

2.7%

Cargo/Equipment Loss or Shift

6

0.1%

Other

20

0.5%

Unknown

1

*

Total

4,050

100.0%

*Less than 500 or less than 0.05 percent.