Fatalities in Heavy Truck Crashes Peaked in 2021

Fatalities from crashes involving large trucks increased by 13 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to early estimates released May 17 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The estimate, which covers all traffic fatalities recorded so far up through 2021, states that overall deaths on U.S. roadways increased by 10.5 percent.

For crashes involving at least one truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds, the NHSTA found the number of fatalities increased from 4,965 to an estimated 5,601. That’s the highest number ever, according to a May 17 statement the Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) released Tuesday.

Since 2010, truck crash fatalities have risen 52 percent, the statement says.

“What more is needed to take safety seriously?” said TSC Board President Dawn King. “We need to do everything possible to reverse this terrifying trend because lives hang in the balance.”

The fatality rate for large truck accidents decreased 1% between 2019 and 2020, while the number remained virtually unchanged from 2018 to 2019, previous NHTSA reports show.

The agency tracks fatal truck accidents that happen during non-commercial use of those vehicles in addition to commercial use.

The NHTSA’s complete motor vehicle fatality numbers for 2021 are expected to be released by the end of this year, according to the agency’s report.