Texas Truck Accident Statistics
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the maximum gross vehicle weight of large trucks, including combination trucks and trailers, is 80,000 pounds. A large truck is defined as any vehicle with a gross weight 10,000 pounds or greater. Trucks, both large and small, share the roadways with passenger vehicles. Because of these dynamics, serious truck accidents happen on Texas roadways each year, requiring the assistance of an experienced truck accident attorney.
In fact, large trucks accounted for about 10 percent of all vehicle miles traveled throughout the United States in 2023, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The number of trucks on the road, coupled with factors that increase the risk of a truck accident — including longer stopping distances and larger blind spots as compared to passenger vehicles — make it essential that truck drivers be extremely qualified before getting behind the wheel. Unfortunately, while truck drivers are required to get a special license to prove their qualifications, even having trained drivers cannot prevent all accidents from occurring. In fact, Texas truck accident statistics as well as federal truck accident statistics demonstrate that truck accidents are a major cause of injury and death throughout Texas and the United States.
Facts and Figures About Truck Accidents in Texas
Accidents, including fatal crashes, can happen at any time in Texas as, unfortunately, there was not a single day without a traffic death on Texas roads in 2025. While trucks are not involved in every crash, fatalities are very common in truck accidents due to the size discrepancy between large trucks and passenger vehicles, which have an average weight of only 3,000 to 5,000 pounds.
Reviewing Texas accident statistics can provide more information both on truck crashes that have occurred as well as on the risk of an accident in the state. According to the Texas Department of Transportation:
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- 469 fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles occurred in Texas in 2025, killing 528 people.
- 1,611 people suffered suspected serious injuries in commercial motor vehicle crashes in Texas in 2025.
- 38,533 total crashes in Texas involved commercial motor vehicles in 2025.
- In 2025, 1.20 deaths occurred for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled in Texas.
- Friday, July 25 was the deadliest day on Texas roads in 2025, with 25 people killed.
- March was the deadliest month in 2025, with 380 people killed in Texas traffic crashes.
- About 46 percent of people killed in Texas traffic crashes in 2025 (where restraint use was known) were not wearing seat belts or other restraints.
Truck Accidents Throughout the United States
Truck accidents are not just a problem in Texas. The national statistics provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration indicate that large trucks are involved in 7 percent of the total number of fatal crashes in the United States and in 2 percent of the total number of crashes that result in injury. Further, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that:
- Nationwide, 5,472 people died in crashes involving large trucks in 2023.
- Nationwide, an estimated 153,452 people were injured in large truck crashes in 2023.
- In 2023, 70 percent of people killed in large truck crashes were occupants of other vehicles, 12 percent were pedestrians, cyclists or other non-occupants, and 18 percent were in the truck.
- In 2023, 70 percent of those injured in large truck crashes were in other vehicles, 3 percent were non-occupants, and 27 percent were in the truck.
Causes of Truck Accidents
In many of these accident cases, it was the truck driver who was at fault for causing the collision. In fact, as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration statistics show:
- Driver-related factors were responsible for 31 percent of the deadly crashes that involved large trucks.
- Speeding was the most common driver-related cause of large truck accidents and was named as a cause in 7 percent of crashes.
- Failure to remain in the proper lane was named as a cause in 6 percent of crashes involving large trucks.
- Distracted driving or lack of driver attention was responsible for 6 percent of fatal crashes involving large vehicles.
These accidents are preventable accidents that would not have occurred if the drivers had behaved with the caution expected of someone entrusted with the care of a large and dangerous vehicle. Victims of truck driver negligence have legal rights, and an experienced personal injury attorney at Roberts & Roberts can provide assistance to truck accident victims in enforcing their rights. Roberts & Roberts Law Firm can be contacted for a free consultation at (903) 597-6000 or by filling out an online contact form.