Fatal Truck Accidents by State: Original Research

In original research by the Truck Accident Attorneys Roundtable, we ranked every U.S. state based on fatal truck accidents per capita. This is a new and original method for analyzing truck crash data (see sourcing below), as previous research either ignored deaths or focused on total truck accidents, skewing the data toward large states with many trucks.

Here’s what we found:

Trucks Cause a Disproportionate Number of Road Deaths

In 2014, truck accidents killed 3,903 people, equating to over 1 death per 100,000 people in the United States. Trucks made up 6% of registered vehicles, but 11% of national road deaths.

The toll is particularly harsh in small states with a lot of truck activity

Nine out of the top 10 most dangerous states have fewer than 5 million residents, and the top 2 have fewer than 1 million. In North Dakota, for example, trucks were involved in 23% of fatal crashes last year.

There were 6.5 fatal accidents per 100,000 residents.

That’s more than 5 times higher than the national average.

Looking Forward

There are currently about 10.5 million large trucks (single-unit plus combination), who travel a collective 285 billion miles. With estimations that freight tonnage is likely to grow by about 29 percent in the next decade, the number of trucks on our roads will only increase. We’re working to make sure that increase in trucks doesn’t also results in a corresponding increase in accidents and deaths.

Additional Questions about a Truck Accident?

In some instances a truck accident could provide grounds for an injury or damages claim, but determining whether or not a claim can be made should be left to experts like the team at Truck Accident Attorney Roundtable. They know the federal regulations, the trucking industry and how to best approach a suit.