A state-by-state breakdown of crashes involving large trucks

Published 5:00 pm Friday, August 26, 2022

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A state-by-state breakdown of crashes involving large trucks

In 2020, there were 54,272 fatal crashes reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many of these crashes involved passenger vehicles—sedans, SUVs, or relatively small trucks; however, thousands of fatal crashes involved another type of vehicle: large trucks. In fact, large trucks—commercial and non-commercial trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds—were involved in almost 5,000 fatal crashes, or just under 9% of total fatal crashes, in 2020. Although the large truck category begins at 10,000 pounds, the majority of trucks involved in these crashes weighed more than 26,000 pounds.

And while that number may seem like a lot, it actually represents a 1% decline from the prior year. One potential reason for the decrease in fatal crashes involving large trucks is the pandemic, which caused a shift in the supply chain and consumer demand that may have put fewer large commercial trucks on the road.

But do certain states have more fatal large truck crashes than others? Walkup, Melodia, Kelly, & Schoenberger collected data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System to understand how many accidents in each state involved large trucks. Each state was ranked based on the number of accidents involving large trucks per 100,000 residents, using data from the FARS April 2020 Traffic Safety Facts report. Population size was drawn from U.S. Census state population totals. Click through for a look at how many crashes involving large trucks happened in each state in 2020.

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Exploded tire of semi truck on highway roadsid

JRJfin // Shutterstock

#51. District of Columbia

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 2 (0.3 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 50 (4.0% involving a large truck)

Fatal traffic accident with truck and trailer

Baloncici // Shutterstock

#50. Massachusetts

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 28 (0.4 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 488 (5.7% involving a large truck)

Cars line up on the freeway in Hawaii

cleanfotos // Shutterstock

#49. Hawaii

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 6 (0.4 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 114 (5.3% involving a large truck)

Overturned semi filled with garbage

JoanneStrell // Shutterstock

#48. New York

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 116 (0.6 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1437 (8.1% involving a large truck)

Semi truck burning on a highway

Neil Pollock // Shutterstock

#47. New Jersey

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 54 (0.6 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 818 (6.6% involving a large truck)

Emergency workers gather at a crash site

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#46. Vermont

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 4 (0.6 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 80 (5.0% involving a large truck)

Large truck with broken bumper

IgorGolovniov // Shutterstock

#45. Rhode Island

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 7 (0.6 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 93 (7.5% involving a large truck)

Upside down trailer truck with semi-trailer on the side of the highway

Kryuchka Yaroslav // Shutterstock

#44. Connecticut

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 25 (0.7 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 415 (6.0% involving a large truck)

The cab of a red semi truck is tipped over by the side of a road

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#43. Michigan

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 74 (0.7 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1567 (4.7% involving a large truck)

White classic semi truck transporting cargo in refrigerated trailer on a road in Washington

Vitpho // Shutterstock

#42. Washington

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 60 (0.8 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 794 (7.6% involving a large truck)

Large truck lies in a side ditch after a road accident

Tynka // Shutterstock

#41. New Hampshire

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 11 (0.8 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 148 (7.4% involving a large truck)

Overturned truck semi-trailer with cargo spilling out

Mikbiz // Shutterstock

#40. Delaware

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 9 (0.9 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 162 (5.6% involving a large truck)

Semi-trailer truck crashed on a freeway

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#39. Maryland

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 57 (0.9 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 818 (7.0% involving a large truck)

Semi truck and cargo on its side on the freeway after an accident

mikeledray // Shutterstock

#38. California

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 384 (1.0 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 5268 (7.3% involving a large truck)

Semi truck trailer rolled over on the side of a road

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

#37. Nevada

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 32 (1.0 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 451 (7.1% involving a large truck)

Large truck leaning off side of road

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#36. Minnesota

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 59 (1.0 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 548 (10.8% involving a large truck)

Collision scene with a semi truck with box trailer and a passenger car

Vitpho // Shutterstock

#35. Wisconsin

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 63 (1.1 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 825 (7.6% involving a large truck)

The scene of a fatal crash involving a tractor trailer and another vehicle

Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle // Getty Images

#34. Pennsylvania

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 147 (1.1 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1597 (9.2% involving a large truck)

Long traffic jam of semi trucks

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

#33. Utah

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 38 (1.2 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 397 (9.6% involving a large truck)

Overturned truck on the side of the road

FIORENTINI MASSIMO // Shutterstock

#32. Ohio

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 145 (1.2 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1766 (8.2% involving a large truck)

The Colorado State Patrol investigates a fatal accident involving a semi truck

Steve Nehf // Getty Images

#31. Colorado

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 74 (1.3 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 885 (8.4% involving a large truck)

Car crash burned after collision

Steve Jolicoeur // Shutterstock

#30. Virginia

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 113 (1.3 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1211 (9.3% involving a large truck)

A large semi truck drives along a highway at susnset

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#29. Illinois

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 170 (1.3 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1673 (10.2% involving a large truck)

Large truck overturned in snow

Jan Miko // Shutterstock

#28. Alaska

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 10 (1.4 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 80 (12.5% involving a large truck)

Jackknifed tractor trailer on Maine Turnpike

Portland Press Herald // Getty Images

#27. Maine

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 20 (1.5 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 216 (9.3% involving a large truck)

A view of the back of the wheels of a overturned truck

ungvar // Shutterstock

#26. North Carolina

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 157 (1.5 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 2163 (7.3% involving a large truck)

Large semi truck overturns on a freeway exit ramp

TFoxFoto // Shutterstock

#25. Oregon

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 64 (1.5 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 688 (9.3% involving a large truck)

Closeup of damaged 18 wheeler semi truck tires

NikomMaelao Production // Shutterstock

#24. Arizona

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 111 (1.5 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1469 (7.6% involving a large truck)

Semi truck on it's side on the side of the road

Devin Schmidt // Shutterstock

#23. Florida

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 351 (1.6 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 4846 (7.2% involving a large truck)

Emergency workers at the scene of a crashed semi truck

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#22. West Virginia

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 34 (1.9 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 370 (9.2% involving a large truck)

A view of an overturned truck on an highway

Timofeev Vladimir // Shutterstock

#21. Missouri

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 125 (2.0 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1373 (9.1% involving a large truck)

Damaged truck tires

thaloengsak // Shutterstock

#20. Iowa

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 67 (2.1 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 467 (14.3% involving a large truck)

A semi truck drives toward a sunset on an empty highway

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#19. Louisiana

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 98 (2.1 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1133 (8.6% involving a large truck)

A big rig lies on it's side on Hwy 59 near Edna, Texas

AFP Contributor // Getty Images

#18. Texas

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 622 (2.1 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 5460 (11.4% involving a large truck)

Close up of the wheels of a dump truck

Boriss Lonskis // Shutterstock

#17. Georgia

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 230 (2.1 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 2387 (9.6% involving a large truck)

18 wheeler semi truck at night on highway

5m3photos // Shutterstock

#16. Indiana

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 148 (2.2 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1254 (11.8% involving a large truck)

Fifth wheel overturned on a highway with the underside torn up

Vineyard Perspective // Shutterstock

#15. North Dakota

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 18 (2.3 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 136 (13.2% involving a large truck)

A truckers warning sign about tipping hazards

Amelia Martin // Shutterstock

#14. South Carolina

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 119 (2.3 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1432 (8.3% involving a large truck)

Tow truck with crane lifting crashed Amazon truck

UCG // Getty Images

#13. Kansas

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 69 (2.4 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 578 (11.9% involving a large truck)

Inside a car, sunny, with airbags and windshield cracks

Kaentian Street // Shutterstock

#12. Oklahoma

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 94 (2.4 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 916 (10.3% involving a large truck)

A squadron of eighteen-wheelers on an interstate highway in eastern Tennessee

Carolyn Franks // Shutterstock

#11. Tennessee

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 165 (2.4 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1722 (9.6% involving a large truck)

A red semi truck speeds along a highway

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#10. Montana

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 27 (2.5 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 243 (11.1% involving a large truck)

A truck is lying on its side after a car accident on the highway

Reshetnikov_art // Shutterstock

#9. Kentucky

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 114 (2.5 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1074 (10.6% involving a large truck)

Damage closeup on white truck

light name // Shutterstock

#8. New Mexico

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 56 (2.6 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 540 (10.4% involving a large truck)

Two semi trucks drive along a winding road through a forest

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#7. Idaho

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 49 (2.7 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 300 (16.3% involving a large truck)

View of car after an accident with large truck in background

Martin Lisner // Shutterstock

#6. Nebraska

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 53 (2.7 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 333 (15.9% involving a large truck)

Accident on a road involving black car and yellow truck

SKT Studio // Shutterstock

#5. South Dakota

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 24 (2.7 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 191 (12.6% involving a large truck)

Underside of an over turned truck on a sunny day

sezer66 // Shutterstock

#4. Alabama

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 138 (2.7 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 1306 (10.6% involving a large truck)

Car after a collision with a heavy truck

Juris Teivans // Shutterstock

#3. Arkansas

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 84 (2.8 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 847 (9.9% involving a large truck)

Modern big rig blue semi truck with semi trailer driving on wet highway

Vitpho // Shutterstock

#2. Mississippi

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 84 (2.8 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 969 (8.7% involving a large truck)

A semi truck passes in front of a mountain range at sunset

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#1. Wyoming

– Fatal crashes involving a large truck: 33 (5.7 per 100k people)
– Total fatal crashes: 174 (19.0% involving a large truck)

This story originally appeared on Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.