IST Statement on 2020 Fatal Truck Crash Data
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data, which showed that 4,965 people were killed in large truck crashes in 2020. While this marks a 1.3 percent decrease in deaths from 2019, the number of truck crash fatalities have increased 31 percent since 2011. We offer our deepest condolences to all of the families who lost loved ones in large truck crashes in 2020.
The Institute for Safer Trucking and our volunteers urge the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and NHTSA to finalize important rulemakings that will reduce injuries and deaths arising from large truck crashes. Requiring automatic emergency braking and speed limiters on large trucks, improving underride protections, and raising insurance minimums can all improve safety; unfortunately, they have all languished at these agencies. We call on the Biden Administration to prioritize these pro-safety policies and make our roads safer.
The Institute for Safer Trucking has also begun analyzing the FARS data and included the below facts to help educate the public about fatal truck crashes in the United States.
Fatal Truck Crash Data from 2011 – 2020
Fatal Work Zone Crashes Involving Large Trucks
In 2020, 26 percent of fatal work zone crashes involved a large truck.
Bicyclist and Pedestrian Fatalities in Large Truck Crashes
Bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities in crashes involving large truck crash have increased 40 and 53 percent, respectively, over the past decade.
Fatal Large Truck Crashes Involving Speeding
23 percent of fatal large truck crashes involved speeding in 2020.
States with Troubling Trends in Large Truck crash Fatalities
These states experienced some of the largest increases in truck crash deaths over the last ten years.
