According to a recent study conducted by Simplex Group, while Texas has been ranked as the state with the worst traffic in the United States, and Rhode Island has the worst road infrastructure, Michigan has been found to be the safest state for truck drivers in the country.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that in the last year, there were 4,842 fatal crashes involving large trucks. Simplex Group, a transportation services provider, conducted an analysis of the NHTSA’s 2022 data. They measured the percentage of large trucks involved in fatal crashes compared to all fatal vehicle crashes in each state, and based on this data, declared the state with the lowest percentage of truck incidents as the safest state for truck drivers.
Michigan has been named as the safest state for truck drivers on the road, as only 4.72% of its fatal crashes involved large trucks. The NHTSA recorded 74 large trucks out of a total of 1,567 vehicles involved in life-threatening crashes in Michigan. Additionally, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation, road fatalities have decreased by 2.9% between 2018 and 2022, while serious injuries have decreased by 10.6%.
Vermont has been ranked as the second safest state for truck drivers, with only 5% of fatal vehicle crashes involving a large truck. In the past 12 months, Vermont recorded 80 vehicles involved in life-threatening crashes, and out of those, only four large trucks were associated with these incidents.
Hawaii has secured the third spot in the ranking, with 5.26% of fatal vehicle crashes involving a truck in the last 12 months. The state recorded 114 vehicles involved in life-endangering crashes, and six of those incidents involved large trucks.
Delaware has been identified as the fourth safest state road for truck drivers, with 5.56% of fatal vehicle crashes involving a truck. In the last 12 months, Delaware saw 162 vehicles associated with life-threatening crashes, out of which nine were large trucks.
Massachusetts has made it to the fifth spot, with a 5.74% truck-involved fatal crash rate. In the last 12 months, just under 500 drivers (488) using the state’s roads have been involved in a life-endangering crash, and out of those, 28 were truck drivers.
Worst of the best
According to Simplex’s analysis, Wyoming had the least-safe roads for truck drivers last year, with 33 out of the state’s 174 fatal vehicle crashes involving large trucks in the last 12 months. This means that 18.97% of the state’s total crashes involved large trucks.
Idaho ranks second to last with a rate of 16.33%, meaning that 49 out of the 300 vehicles associated with a life-threatening crash in the state in the last 12 months involved trucks.
Nebraska ranks as the third least-safe state for truck drivers, with a 15.92% truck-involved fatal crash rate in 2022. This means that 53 out of the 333 vehicles involved in fatal crashes in Nebraska were large trucks.
Iowa ranks as the fourth most dangerous state for truck drivers, with 14.35% of fatal vehicle crashes in 2022 involving a truck. This means that out of 467 vehicles involved in fatal crashes in Iowa, 67 were large trucks.
North Dakota is ranked as the fifth least-safe state for truck drivers, with 13.24% of fatal vehicle crashes in the last 12 months involving a large truck. This means that out of 136 vehicles involved in fatal crashes in North Dakota, 18 were large trucks.
