Tractor Trailer Accidents

Large Truck Crash Facts

Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; 2006 statistics released January 2008

• The past 20 years (from 1986 to 2006) have seen a 49-percent increase in registered large trucks — and a 76-percent increase in miles traveled by large trucks.
• In the past decade, there has been a 23-percent increase in registered large trucks and a 22-percent increase in miles traveled by large trucks.
• In 2006, 4,732 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes, 80,000 were involved in injury crashes, and 300,000 were involved in property damage only crashes.
• Fatalities in crashes involving large trucks made up 12 percent of all fatalities in Motor vehicle crashes in 2006.
• Injuries in large truck crashes made up 4 percent of all injuries in motor vehicle crashes in 2006.
• Hazardous materials placards were present on 4 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes and 2 percent of those in nonfatal crashes. Hazardous materials were released from the cargo compartments of 12 percent of the placarded trucks.
• In 2006, there were 4,995 non-motorists and vehicle occupants killed in large truck crashes, including 2,015 people in passenger cars, 1,527 in light trucks and 192 on motorcycles.
• Of the 368,000 police-reported crashes involving large trucks in 2006, 4,321 (1 percent) resulted in at least one fatality, and 77,000 (21 percent) resulted in at least one nonfatal injury.
• Single-vehicle crashes made up 21 percent of all fatal crashes, 15 percent of all injury crashes, and 27 percent of all property damage only crashes involving large trucks.
• Just over three-fifths (62 percent) of all fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on rural roads, and 25 percent occurred on Interstate highways.
• Thirty-four percent of all fatal crashes and 19 percent of all property damage only crashes involving large trucks occurred at night.
• The vast majority of fatal crashes (85 percent) and of nonfatal crashes (89 percent) involving large trucks occurred on weekdays (Monday through Friday).
• From 1996 to 2006, on average, intercity buses made up 12 percent of all buses involved in fatal crashes. School buses accounted for 39 percent of fatal bus crashes, while transit buses accounted for another 35 percent of fatal crashes.
• Singles (truck tractors pulling a single semi-trailer) accounted for 63 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes. Doubles (tractors pulling two trailers) made up 3 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes. Triples (tractors pulling three trailers) accounted for 0.1 percent of all large trucks involved in fatal crashes in 2006.

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For more information, please see the following related page on our website:
Truck accidents
Facts About large truck accident s
Truck Fatigue
Do’s and Dont’s of Truck Accidents
Vehicle Accidents FAQs
The Coalition for Commercial Truck Safety
Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)