Missouri Truck Accident Statistics

Missouri has an important role to play in the nation’s transportation and logistics network. Major interstate highways such as the Interstate 70, Interstate 44 and the Interstate 35 crisscross the state. Thousands of commercial trucks travel Missouri roadways every day as they carry goods across the Midwest and across the rest of the U.S. Major cities in Missouri including Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Columbia serve as important freight hubs, making the state one of the busiest trucking corridors in the region.

Truck accidents are a sad reality on Missouri’s highways because commercial truck traffic is heavy here. Tractor-trailers, semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles share the roads with passenger vehicles, increasing the risk of serious collisions. Congested highways, long driving hours and tight delivery deadlines all tend to contribute to dangers on Missouri’s trucking routes.

Truck accidents also tend to far more severe than typical car accidents because of the size and weight of these commercial vehicles. For example, a fully-loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds compared to a car that weighs around 4,000 pounds. Impact from truck accidents could result in catastrophic or life-threatening injuries and victims often face a long road to recovery, lost income and severe emotional trauma.

This article looks into how, where and why truck accidents occur in Missouri and the danger they present, mostly to occupants of other vehicles who tend to bear the brunt of these devastating crashes.

Missouri Truck Accident Statistics Overview

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the state has seen mixed trends involving large truck and commercial vehicle crashes in recent years. While overall roadway fatalities declined statewide between 2022 and 2025, fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles increased in 2024 after declining in 2023.

MoDOT reports that Missouri recorded approximately 159 fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles in 2024, compared to 137 fatalities in 2023. Between 2020 and 2024, the fatality rate involving commercial motor vehicles increased from 1.18 to 1.30 fatalities per 100 million commercial motor vehicle miles traveled. The state’s target for 2024 was 125 or fewer fatalities caused by commercial vehicles. However, that goal was not met.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and NHTSA data show that large trucks were involved in about 120 fatal crashes in Missouri during 2023 while injury crashes involving large trucks exceeded 3,000 statewide. Missouri’s roadway fatality rate is higher than national averages mostly because of its extensive interstate system and freight traffic.

Year	Large truck crashes	Fatal large truck crashes	Injuries resulting from large truck crashes
2022	4,909	114	2,053
2023	5,025	127	2,178
2024	5,070 (preliminary)	128	2,203

Locations Involving Most Missouri Truck Accidents

Interstate 70: The Interstate 70 spreads across Missouri connecting Kansas City and St. Louis and is considered the busiest trucking corridors in Missouri. A heavy and continuous daily flow of large trucks on this highway transport goods between the Midwest and the East Coast. This freight traffic combined with the regular commuter traffic increases the risk of collisions between trucks and smaller vehicles. Further, merging vehicles, stop-and-go traffic and various construction activities contribute to more hazardous driving conditions particularly, near the busier parts of Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis.

Interstate 44: Long-haul trucking traffic is significant year-round on the I-44, which runs through Springfield and connects Missouri to the neighboring states. The risk of fatigue-related accidents is also greater here due to truck and other drivers who often spend many hours on this route. I-44 also has numerous construction zones along its length that heighten the risk of collisions, especially in sections where the lanes narrow or traffic slows down unexpectedly.

Interstate 55 and Interstate 35: These interstates are integral to state transportation as they link major long-distance freight routes in Missouri. This tends to result in a large number of tractor-trailers driving through rural areas and smaller communities. Often, higher speed limits, limited lighting and fewer emergency response resources, etc. can all pose crash risks in rural highway conditions. Also, fatigue, distracted driving, and changing road conditions may contribute to serious accidents involving truck and other drivers traveling long distances on these interstates.

Leading Causes of Missouri Truck Accidents

Some of the leading causes of truck accidents in Missouri include:

Driver fatigue: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) hours-of service (HOS) regulations are in place to ensure that truck drivers get enough rest before getting on the road. These rules essentially limit the number of hours truck drivers can operate. Violations of these rules occur commonly because truck drivers are under pressing deadlines and often find themselves having to drive overnight in order to meet those deadlines.

Given Missouri’s role as a major trucking and freight corridor, when drivers fail to stay attentive because they simply haven’t had enough rest before getting behind the wheel, catastrophic collisions could occur. Among the most common ways in which fatigued drivers cause crashes is by rear-ending other vehicles or by allowing their vehicle to drift into opposing lanes of traffic, which could cause a devastating head-on collision.

Distracted driving: While truck drivers succumb to the distractions that other drivers do, such as eating, drinking, talking on the phone or texting while driving, they may also be distracted because they are working the GPS systems in the vehicle or communicating with dispatch staff. Driving while distracted amounts to negligence. Any act that takes a truck driver’s hands off the wheel, eyes off the road or attention away from operating the truck could put others’ safety at risk.

Speeding and unsafe driving: Large trucks are already more challenging to maneuver because of their size and weight. When a truck driver operates the vehicle at an excessive rate of speed or in a dangerous manner, the resulting accidents can be devastating. Examples of unsafe truck operation include aggressive driving such as tailgating or making unsafe lane changes. When a truck driver speeds on the highway, he or she may have trouble stopping in time to prevent a collision because trucks have longer “stopping” distances. Construction zones may cause traffic to suddenly slow down, and when a truck is going at a high rate of speed, the driver may end up crashing into a construction zone or workers on the roadway.

Poor truck maintenance: Mechanical issues can also result in major injury or fatal truck accidents. For example, brake failure or tire blowouts could cause a large truck to go out of control and strike other vehicles. Truck drivers, trucking companies, maintenance firms, etc. have a duty to make sure that the vehicles are inspected before they get on the road. Any mechanical defects should be rectified and defective parts must be replaced right away.

Weather conditions: Inclement weather could sometimes play a part in truck accidents. Missouri’s highways can be treacherous in wintry weather when the roads are covered in snow or ice. Rain could make roadways slick and fog could hamper visibility, making it more challenging for truck drivers. It is important that drivers use additional caution. Steps truck drivers can take in challenging weather conditions include remaining attentive, not following other vehicles too closely and slowing down so they have sufficient time to stop if necessary.

Improperly loaded cargo: The way cargo is loaded on to large trucks can make a big difference when it comes to safety and accident prevention. When a truck is overloaded, it increases the risk for cargo to fall off the truck and cause accidents. The truck itself might roll over or jackknife if the cargo shifts. A heavier truck also means longer stopping distances, which could increase the risk of a rear-end crash.

Why Truck Accidents Are So Dangerous

Truck accidents are widely acknowledged to be more dangerous than a collision between two passenger vehicles because they often result in more severe injuries and extensive damages. Commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded while a car weighs about 4,000 pounds. This significant difference in size and weight means that when a large truck collides with a smaller car, the occupants of the smaller vehicle are much more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries.

As we already know, trucks have longer “stopping” distances. This means they could plow into the vehicle ahead, not only impacting that one vehicle, but potentially causing a multi-vehicle pileup on the highway involving several vehicles and victims. Also, when a large truck hits another vehicle at highway speeds, the consequences can be absolutely devastating.

Large truck collisions could also result in what are known as “underride accidents.” This occurs when a smaller vehicle slides under the large truck either from behind or the side. These types of accidents are particularly devastating because they often result in fatal incidents accompanying gruesome injuries including decapitation. The likelihood of catastrophic injuries — which can lead to lifelong disabilities — is also higher in large truck accidents.

Common Injuries in Missouri Truck Accidents

Large truck accidents often result in devastating injuries including:

Traumatic brain injuries: These types of injuries could range from concussions to skull fractures or brain bleeds. Often, brain injuries result permanent disabilities, which could lead to loss of livelihood or requiring ongoing care and rehabilitation.

Spinal cord injuries: Trauma to the spinal cord could result in chronic pain or fractures that could take a significant amount of time to heal. Victims of large truck accidents are particularly at risk of suffering paralysis as a result of spinal cord trauma.

Broken bones: While broken bones are not often life threatening, they could still be debilitating and painful. A fracture might still require lengthy periods of rest and rehabilitation, which could result in loss of wages and loss of earning capacity. In some cases, broken bones may also require surgery.

Burn injuries: When vehicles ignite after a large truck accident, vehicle occupants could suffer severe burns. Such injuries may need to be treated with costly and painful skin graft surgeries. Burn injuries also often result in scarring, which could be irreversible, and may also result in a range of functional disabilities.

Internal injuries: There are certain injuries that may not be apparent, but can be serious or even life-threatening. Injury to vital organs such as the lungs, kidneys, liver, etc. can prove fatal, if not identified and treated right away. Because of the force with which they occur, large truck accidents commonly result in internal injuries.

Wrongful death: When a fatal truck accident is caused by the truck driver’s or trucking company’s (or other entity’s) negligence or wrongdoing, the family members of the deceased victim may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for their tremendous losses.

What to Do After a Missouri Truck Accident

There are a number of actions you can take right away in the aftermath of a Missouri truck accident to make sure your rights are protected:

• Call 911 soon after the accident to make sure you get law enforcement response to the accident scene and to ensure that you and your passengers receive prompt medical attention.
• Seek medical treatment right away for your injuries. This will help ensure that you are on the road to recovery and that any treatment and care you receive is well documented.
• Preserve as much evidence as possible from the scene of the accident. It would be in your best interest to obtain photos, video and contacts for eyewitnesses. If you are unable to do so because you are injured, a friend, family member or your personal injury lawyer could also help gather this evidence.
• Do not give recorded statements to insurance companies. This is because anything to say can, and probably will, be used against you. Talk first to your personal injury lawyer who will have your best interest at heard.
• It is critical to investigate truck accident evidence and records as soon as possible. This is because evidence such as driver logs or vehicle maintenance logs can disappear very quickly. Retaining a lawyer and having them send out to spoliation letter to the defendant will help preserve important evidence, which could make or break your case.

Trucking companies begin their investigations immediately after a serious crash. This is why it would be in your best interest to get an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions About Missouri Truck Accidents

How many truck accidents happen in Missouri each year?

There are about 5,000 truck crashes each year in Missouri, including more than 100 fatal crashes and several thousand injury crashes. Federal and state traffic safety data show that heavy freight traffic on Missouri’s interstate highways contributes to a higher-than-average rate of serious truck accidents.

What Missouri highways have the most truck accidents?

Missouri highways with the most truck accidents include Interstate 70 and Interstate 44, which happen to be two of the state’s busiest freight corridors. Other high-risk truck routes include Interstate 55, and due to congestion, high speeds, weather conditions and large volumes of semi-truck traffic.

What causes most Missouri truck accidents?

Most Missouri truck accidents are caused by driver fatigue, distracted driving, speeding, unsafe lane changes and failure to maintain a safe following distance. There are also several other factors that involve both negligence on the part of the driver and the trucking firm.

Are truck accidents more dangerous than regular car accidents?

Yes, because truck accidents almost always result in catastrophic injuries or death. They also have the potential to result in lifelong disabilities, which could cause loss of livelihood.

Why are semi-truck accidents often fatal?

The size and weight of a semi-truck often lead to fatal injuries in the event of a crash. These types of accidents often involve speed, which compounds the severity of the injuries.

Missouri, because of its unique location in the Midwest, has a high volume of trucking. This also makes it dangerous as truck accidents continue to cause severe injuries and fatalities across the state. This is why it is important to understand truck accident risks and trends in Missouri. It is also critical to stay informed and prioritize your own safety on Missouri’s highways.