By james art 
Trucker Deaths: States With Highest Fatalities Revealed
- Vermont tops the list as the most dangerous state for truck drivers, with a death rate more than three times the national average.
- New Mexico and Wyoming also rank second and third for truck driver fatalities, raising serious concerns for drivers in those states.
- Delaware is the safest state, with truck driver fatalities well below the national average.
New study from Florida personal injury attorneys Fassig Brooks highlights the serious dangers truck drivers face in certain states.
Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on heavy-duty truck miles driven and passenger fatalities in 2022, the study analyzed the number of deaths per billion heavy-duty truck miles driven.
It revealed the states where truckers are most at risk on the road and the states with the lowest number of trucker deaths per billion miles.
Although only 558 million miles of heavy-duty trucks were driven through the state in 2022. Vermont has the highest death rate in the country among truck drivers.
With a fatality rate of 8.96 per billion miles, Vermont is the state with the highest truck driver fatality rate—more than three times the national average of 2.56.
New Mexico ranks second with a fatality rate of 7.06 truck driver deaths per billion miles. The southwestern state, with its vast stretches of highway, has a 176% a higher rate of truck driver fatalities than the national average.
Wyoming follows a close third with a fatality rate of 5.88 per billion miles traveled, more than twice the national average. The state’s difficult terrain and weather may increase the risk for people behind the wheel of a heavy truck.
Nebraska and Hawaii round out the five most dangerous states with 5.35 and 4.10 deaths per billion miles, respectively.
The 10 worst countries for truck drivers
| Rank | condition | Truck Miles (millions) | Fatalities per billion miles | % above the national average (2.56) |
| 1 | Vermont | 558 | 8.96 | +250% |
| 2 | New Mexico | 2,973 | 7.06 | +176% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 2,041 | 5.88 | +130% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 2,806 | 5.35 | +109% |
| 5 | Hawaii | 487 | 4.10 | +60% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 13,623 | 3.82 | +49% |
| 7 | Kansas | 4,905 | 3.67 | +43% |
| 8 | North Carolina | 10,508 | 3.52 | +38% |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 6,490 | 3.39 | +32% |
| 10 | Georgia | 18,011 | 3.28 | +28% |
While these states pose significant dangers to truckers, the study also reveals the safest states for truckers, with the lowest death rates per mile driven.
Delaware has the safest roads for truck drivers, with a fatality rate of just 0.50 per billion miles driven—impressive 80% below the national average.
Maine follows closely behind, with truckers facing a fatality rate of just 0.60 per billion miles, which is 77% lower than the national average.
Massachusetts also ranked high for safety, coming in third with a fatality rate of 0.76 per billion miles driven, 70% below the national average.
Michigan is another state where truckers can feel safer, with a fatality rate of 0.95 per billion miles – 63%below the national average.
California rounding out the top five with a fatality rate of 1.09 per billion miles — still significantly lower than the national average, at 57% below.
Top 10 countries for truck drivers
| Rank | condition | Truck Miles (millions) | Fatalities per billion miles | % below the national average (2.56) |
| 1 | Delaware | 2,019 | 0.50 | -80% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,654 | 0.60 | -77% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 3,931 | 0.76 | -70% |
| 4 | Michigan | 10,577 | 0.95 | -63% |
| 5 | California | 34,871 | 1.09 | -57% |
| 6 | Utah | 7,102 | 1.13 | -56% |
| 7 | Indiana | 19,702 | 1.22 | -52% |
| 8 | Maryland | 4,605 | 1.30 | -49% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 759 | 1.32 | -48% |
| 10 | New York | 12,631 | 1.43 | -44% |
Commenting on the findings, an expert from Fassig Brooks said: “The results of this study are a stark reminder of the risks truck drivers face on our nation’s roads. Seeing such a wide gap between the safest and most dangerous countries is alarming. This suggests that states like Vermont, New Mexico and Wyoming need to take action to address the factors that lead to the high rate of trucker fatalities.
“Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, putting in long hours on the road to keep our country moving. Keeping them safe should be a top priority across the country.
“We hope these findings will encourage action to improve road safety measures, especially in states where truckers are most at risk.”
credit history:
Methodology
Data for this study were compiled from NHTSA’s 2022 statistics on heavy truck miles traveled and truck occupant fatalities. The analysis focused on calculating deaths per billion truck miles to accurately represent the relative hazard in each
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