Pickup Truck vs. Car Accident Statistics

In the US alone, the number of daily car crashes is close to 100 as far as the statistics between 2017 and 2021 are concerned. A sheer majority of these crashes involve standard cars like SUVs, saloons, minivans, and station wagons; as well as pickup trucks. But which one is more dangerous between pickup truck accidents and car accidents as far as statistics are concerned?  

What do the statistics say about pickup truck crashes and car accidents? 

According to accident statistics, driving a pickup truck is more dangerous compared to driving a car because accidents involving pickup trucks are 2.5 times more likely to result in fatal injuries. Reports, however, also reveal that passenger cars cause more accidents than pickup trucks overall!

Have you been injured in a car accident? Look into car accident statistics and pickup truck statistics to obtain the answers you’re looking for.Every single day, thousands (or tens of them) of traffic accidents occur on our roads in different parts of the globe. While a majority of road accidents are non-fatal, reports from the CDC actually indicate that nearly 3700 people perish every day globally from traffic accidents or complications resulting from these crashes. A significant chunk of these accidents affect drivers of cars and pickup trucks, passengers, and pedestrians alike.

But one can only wonder, which one of the two causes the most accidents? Are pickup trucks more dangerous than cars on the road or are both of them equally unsafe? There’s only one way to find out!

In this piece, we shall take a look at accident statistics for cars and pickup trucks in an attempt to answer these and more burning questions that you may have.  

Injured in an auto wreck?  Contact the Charleston car accident lawyers at David Aylor Law Offices for a free case evaluation.

Pickup Accident Statistics You Should Know 

How Many People Drive Pickup Trucks? 

Several years or decades ago, you could only see a few pickup trucks on the roads, with more of them traversing remote roads. This is because then, trucks were primarily used for hauling or transporting goods from one point to the other.

Be that as it may, past reports from After Market News in 2008 indicated that Texas had the most four-wheel-drive vehicles, with 1 in every 4 vehicles being a pickup truck.

Things have changed today, nonetheless, with more and more pickup trucks being designed for passenger transportation and running personal errands. As far as statistics from 2020 are concerned, close to 3 million pickup units were sold in the US that year despite the pandemic.

The Experian further reveals that In 2019 Q1, further data shows that close to 16.5 percent of all new vehicle registrations were pickup trucks, with Texas still at the top of the states with the most pickup trucks.

It might come as a surprise but out of the 276 million vehicles registered in the US in 2019, 156 million were trucks compared to 108 million cars according to Bankrate.

• Pickup trucks have gained massive popularity
• Texas takes the lead in the US among the states with the most pickup truck registrations
• The number of pickup drivers is getting higher nationwide

How Many People Die In Pickup Truck Accidents?

2019 statistics further indicate that in 74 percent of all fatal passenger car accidents, a large truck is involved. This is not to mention that the year before the pandemic saw more than 4,000 perish in traffic crashes involving large trucks, 16 percent of whom were truck occupants while 67 percent were occupants of other vehicles.

In case of an accident, pickup truck occupants are said to face a higher fatality risk compared to other vehicle types on average, with the death rate estimated to stand at about 27% for rollover accidents. 

• Large trucks are responsible for numerous accidents on the road
• Pickup drivers and passengers face an immense fatality risk 

Injuries from Pickup Accidents 

Accidents from pickup trucks can range from minor grazes or bumps to life-changing injuries with extreme pain and suffering. Depending on the circumstances, these may include back and neck injuries, burns, internal bleeding, broken bones, cuts, and even traumatic brain injuries. Cases of wrongful death are also quite common from these accidents, and often affect pedestrians or other road users.  

• Pickup crash injuries are often quite severe
• Fatality rates are high for injuries sustained from pickup crashes

Common Causes of Pickup Truck Accidents 

A pickup truck accident can stem from a wide range of factors or causes. These may range from speeding to:

• Driving while intoxicated
• Fatigued driving in the case of commercial pickup truck drivers
• Driver inexperience
• Overloading the truck
• Poor vehicle maintenance/repair
• Bad weather

Of all these reasons, alcohol DUI is among the leading causes of pickup truck crashes on our roads. Unsurprisingly, drivers of pickup trucks are more likely to be male, which explains why nearly 97 percent of people who get injured or die in pickup truck accidents belong to the masculine gender.  

Car Accident Statistics 

How Many People Drive Passenger Cars? 

While pickups might have outsold cars in 2019/20 in the US, it is worth mentioning that we still have more cars on our roads than we have pickups. Besides the fact that passenger cars last for several years, many households own more than one car, with over 24 percent having over three vehicles registered under their name.

Estimates from Worldometers indicate that more than 1 billion passenger cars traverse the planet today, claiming approximately 74 percent of the total number of cars produced each year. In the US, 2019 data revealed a total of 229 million licensed drivers, including those who owned cars or drove commercial vehicles.

How Many People Die In Passenger Car Accidents? 

Each year, multiple millions of accidents happen on the roads globally. In the US, slightly over 6 million traffic accidents involve passenger cars each year, not forgetting that traffic road crashes are among the leading causes of death in the land of opportunity. SaferAmerica’s 2019 data indicates that slightly over 1.3 million lives are lost each year from car accidents.

Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also showed that vehicle occupants are more likely to die from a road crash compared to other road users.  

• 6M traffic crashes occur annually in the US
• Road crashes rank top ten in the leading causes of death list
• 1.3M deaths are caused by road accidents globally
• Vehicle occupant deaths are almost twice as much as other deaths in passenger car crashes

Passenger Cars are Responsible for Most Accidents  

The number of people killed in road accidents every year is undeniably scary. While we’ve already covered that above, a 2019 report by the Washington Post indicated that more Americans lost their lives in road wrecks since 2000 than in WWI and WWII combined. Moreover, auto accidents are a leading cause of death among US teenagers, claiming more than a third of all teen fatalities each year.  

While passenger cars are responsible for more than 70 percent of all car crashes, driver error is to blame for nearly 90 percent of those. This means that driver negligence is among the leading causes of injuries and fatalities from road accidents, and a huge number of these are caused by passenger car operators. 

Injuries from Passenger Car Accidents 

Compared to pickup truck crashes, injuries from passenger car accidents tend to be less severe overall. However, they affect a considerably large number of road users each year, understandably because most of the vehicles on our roads are passenger cars. 

In most cases, victims of these injuries are left with a financial burden, with unexpected medical bills to foot and potentially lost earnings to deal with.They may range from head injuries, whiplash, lacerations, broken bones, and even internal bleeding. This is why it is always advisable to seek medical help as soon as possible after getting involved in a car wreck.

The severity of the injuries will largely be determined by the circumstances surrounding the accident, which explains the significant number of fatalities from passenger car crashes.

• Injuries from car accidents cause a huge economic burden to the victims 
• Passenger car accidents result in less severe injuries vs. pickup trucks
• The severity of injuries may vary with the accident circumstances

Common Causes of Passenger Car Accidents 

From distracted driving to recklessness, intoxication, motor vehicle defects, poor road conditions, and bad weather, a plethora of factors can lead to a passenger car accident. This is not to mention fatigue while driving, alongside unnecessary speeding, The risk of causing an accident is also seen to be higher among younger drivers, especially those aged between 16 and 19. 

While it might sound a little obvious, pickup truck drivers are not always to blame for accidents they’re involved in. It is actually the other way round if past reports from a study by the UM are anything to go by. The University of Michigan Study about crashes involving heavy trucks revealed the following:

• In 70% of crashes involving pickups, passenger car drivers were to blame.
• A considerable number of these crashes result in fatalities or serious injuries. 

Nonetheless, the driver’s conduct is always put to the test every time they strike the ignition and step on the gas pedal. With the utmost care, mindfulness, and attention while on the road,

Why Are Pickups More Dangerous? 

At this point, the numbers have revealed that pickup trucks are definitely more dangerous on the road. But one would wonder, why exactly is this the case?  

• They Roll Easily

It is easier for a pickup truck to roll off the road when making a sharp turn at high speed, endangering the lives of its occupants and other road users. This is precisely because their COG is much higher than that of most standard sedans, minivans, saloons, and SUVs. It’s even worse if the pickup truck is carrying heavy loads.

• The Size Factor 

Pickup trucks are often larger than other vehicles. Consumer Reports indicate that since the year 2000, hood heights for pickup trucks have increased by nearly 11 percent.

At the cab, the truck driver usually has a high vantage point, but that doesn’t necessarily make pickups safer than other vehicles. In fact, truck drivers usually have a harder time spotting other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. This makes them more dangerous on the road, especially when heavily loaded.

• Dangerous Modifications 

To meet the owner’s specific needs, many pickup trucks are customized and fitted with certain modifications. Among the most common dangerous mods for pickups include wheel lifting, window tinting, and loud stereos. All these factors can increase the vehicle’s risk of causing a collision or getting into a serious pickup wreck.

Key Takeaways 

• When traveling at high speeds, a larger vehicle like a pickup truck can cause more damage than a smaller car if an accident occurs.
• More dangerous than passenger cars, pickups are some of the deadliest vehicles to drive.
• Pickup trucks have a higher rollover rate than passenger cars.
• Both pickups and standard cars can cause severe injuries and/or fatalities in the event of an accident.

To sum it up, standard cars tend to be a bit safer on the road compared to pickup trucks. Despite being involved in more accidents overall, passenger cars are built with speed and functionality in mind. All the same, you can never say for sure that you’re 100 percent safe as a road user, whether you’re a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, or even a pedestrian. The best you can do is to take measures to ensure your safety and that of other road users. 

If you are the victim of a car accident involving a pickup truck, contact our experienced attorneys today so we can begin working on your case immediately.