Which states had the highest rates of fatal truck accidents in 2024?
Executive summary
Available reporting indicates states with the highest rates or counts of fatal large‑truck crashes in recent years include North Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa for "highest percentage" of truck‑involved fatal crashes (by share), while Texas had the largest raw count of fatal large‑truck crashes (772 in 2023; 546 reported fatal commercial incidents in 2024 by Texas DOT) [1] [2]. Nation‑level federal dashboards (FMCSA/NHTSA) and state reports are the underlying sources for these rankings; specific 2024 state‑by‑state ranked lists are not consolidated in the provided excerpts [3] [4].
1. Rural states show the highest share of truck‑involved fatal crashes
Federal‑data reporting and industry summaries highlight that some of the most rural states lead on the percentage of fatal crashes that involve large trucks. FleetOwner, citing NHTSA/CRSS analysis, reports North Dakota tops the list for the highest percentage of truck‑involved fatal crashes in 2022, followed by Wyoming and Iowa — reflecting rural road patterns and higher truck exposure relative to population in those states [1]. These are percentages of fatal crashes involving trucks, not raw counts of deaths.
2. Texas leads by raw fatal‑crash counts; enforcement and exposure matter
In absolute numbers Texas is repeatedly reported as the state with the most fatal large‑truck crashes. FMCSA figures cited by reporting and a Texas Tribune analysis show Texas recorded 772 fatal large‑truck crashes in 2023 and the Texas DOT reported 546 fatal commercial motor‑vehicle incidents in 2024 [2]. That combination of high truck miles travelled, freight growth and safety‑enforcement trends helps explain why Texas tops raw‑count lists [2].
3. Different metrics produce different “leaders” — rate vs. count
The industry and federal datasets use at least two distinct measures: percentage (or rate) of fatal crashes that involve trucks, and absolute counts of truck‑involved fatal crashes. FleetOwner emphasizes percentages (North Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa) while Texas Tribune focuses on counts and the state’s leading total [1] [2]. Choosing one metric over the other changes which states appear to “have the highest rates” — percentage rates highlight rural states with concentrated truck exposure; counts reflect population, freight volume and road‑mileage.
4. National context: truck fatalities trended up over several years, then showed mixed signals
Multiple sources say large‑truck fatalities increased over the latter part of the past decade (nearly 50% over a ten‑year window per FleetOwner) and that reported truck fatalities were higher in 2022 (5,837 cited by several outlets) than earlier years [1] [5]. At the same time NHTSA and related summaries signaled declines overall in 2023 and early 2024 projections for traffic fatalities, and FMCSA’s LTBCF reports are the recurring federal compilation for state breakdowns [6] [3]. The available excerpts do not provide a single, authoritative 2024 state ranking in the sources supplied [3] [4].
5. Data sources, limitations and what’s not covered in the reporting
Authoritative state rankings depend on which dataset and year are used: FARS, FMCSA A&I crash statistics, and state DOT tallies can differ in scope and timeliness [4] [3]. The provided sources include state narrative (Texas DOT/Texas Tribune), industry synthesis (FleetOwner), and federal dashboards, but none of the supplied snippets present a comprehensive, state‑by‑state ranked table for fatal truck crashes specifically for the full calendar year 2024 that I can quote directly [4] [3] [1]. Available sources do not mention a single consolidated 2024 state ranking list in this dataset.
6. Competing explanations and potential agendas in the sources
Coverage tying Texas’s high counts to weakened federal enforcement and policy choices appears in the Texas Tribune piece and may reflect an agenda to pressure regulators and promote litigation as a remedy; the article pairs statistics with critiques of enforcement rollbacks [2]. Federal summaries (NHTSA/FHWA/ FMCSA) emphasize data trends and method changes over time [6] [3], while trade outlets focus on rural‑state percentages and historical increases [1]. Readers should note these differing emphases when interpreting which states “had the highest rates.”
7. How to get a definitive 2024 state ranking
For a precise, defensible ranking you should consult the FMCSA A&I crash statistics visualization or the NHTSA FARS state tables for 2024 once final data are published; both are identified in the sources as the primary repositories for state‑level large‑truck crash data [4] [3]. The supplied materials point to those dashboards as the place to extract per‑state fatality counts and rates rather than relying solely on secondary summaries [4] [3].
If you want, I can use the FMCSA or NHTSA dashboards cited in these sources to extract a state‑by‑state list for 2024 (if available in the provided data).