Which states see the most fatal truck accidents?

We often see reports of serious semi-truck accidents on television and think, “How horrible! Something like this could never happen to me.” Unfortunately, no driver is immune to semi-truck accidents and some states, including North Carolina, see significant numbers of these types of collisions.

The deadly dozen

On September 19, the Truck Safety Coalition issued its report on the states most likely to see fatal truck accidents based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The top 12 states for fatal truck accidents are referred to as the “deadly dozen.” Wyoming topped that list, followed by South Dakota and then Nebraska.

While North Carolina is not among the 12 top states for fatal truck accidents, it still saw a significant number of deadly truck crashes. In 2020 there were 170 fatal motor vehicle accidents involving semi-trucks in North Carolina.

Semi-truck accidents are inherently dangerous

A crash involving a semi-truck is inherently more dangerous compared to crashes involving standard automobiles. This is due to the size disparity between semi-trucks and automobiles. Semi-trucks are significantly larger and heavier than automobiles, and crashes involving them are more likely to cause injuries or fatalities due to sheer physics.

Semi-truck accidents have numerous causes, including drowsy driving, aggressive driving and failing to follow traffic rules. Whatever the reason, if you are injured in a crash involving a semi-truck it is likely that you have experienced significant physical trauma, emotional trauma and financial losses. Many of those injured in a semi-truck crash choose to pursue compensation as a means of recouping the many losses suffered in the accident.