Texas 18-Wheeler Truck Accident Statistics

Recent statistics regarding truck accidents in Texas (2014-2015).

Using information gathered from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), we've highlighted the most-interesting and revealing statistical information regarding commercial truck accidents in Texas (those involving 18-wheelers, big rigs, tanker trucks, etc).

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• According to TxDOT, the state saw at least 34,230 accidents in 2015 involving at least one commercial motor vehicle. Out of these accidents, at least 6,162 people were injured (1,522 suffering incapacitating injuries), and at least 601 people lost their lives.

• Going back one year to 2014, Texas saw a total of 33,107 accidents involving commercial vehicles. At least 6,148 people suffered injuries (1,521 incapacitating), and at least 591 were killed.

• Statistics show that over 60% of all truck accidents occur in rural areas of the state, and over 70 percent of these accidents occur during the daytime. Over 60% of the truck accidents which occur during the weekend took place between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

• While the majority of 18-wheeler accidents occurred in rural areas spread across the state, motor vehicle accidents in general tend to occur in much higher concentrations within big cities. The majority of less-populous counties in Texas may see fewer than 100 truck accidents per year, while populous areas like Dallas and Harris County see a few thousand (3,598 and 5,887 in 2015, respectively).

Truck accident statistics nationwide.

• According to information provided by the NHTSA and FARS, in 2015, there were an estimated 433,000 reported accidents involving large trucks in the USA. Of these accidents, an estimated 116,000 people were injured and 4,067 were killed.

• One year prior in 2014, there were an estimated 438,000 large trucks involved in police-reported traffic crashes, involving at least 3,903 fatalities and an estimated 111,000 injuries.

• Over the past 10 years, there's been a 19% decrease in the total number of people killed in large truck accidents (from 5,027 in 2006 to 4,067 in 2015), but there has also been a 10% increase in the total number of people injured in large-truck crashes over the same time period (from 106,000 in 2006 to 116,000 in 2015).

• In 2015, 86% of the large trucks involved in fatal traffic crashes were classified as "heavy large trucks" (weighing > 26,000 lbs).

• Of all fatal truck accidents, 74% of those killed were occupants of other vehicles.

Related: Texas Car Accident Statistics