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NHTSA data, computed here

Truck-tractor fatal crashes by hour and day: where the counts cluster

NHTSA records every fatal crash on U.S. public roads. This page picks the ones that involved a truck-tractor and lays them on a 24-hour, 7-day clock, then overlays your own driving schedule. The counts show where crashes are recorded, not where risk per mile is highest.

Annual filesNHTSA FARS national files, data years 2023 and 2024Crashes from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024Retrieved Oct 10, 2026, 06:24 UTCretrieved Oct 10, 2026

Read this first

These are counts of fatal crashes, not rates and not fault. A truck-tractor was one of the vehicles; many of these crashes were caused by someone else. Counts depend on how much traffic is on the road in each hour, which this data does not give. It is not a safety score for any carrier or driver, and the page uses no data about any company.

In 2023 and 2024, 5,439 fatal crashes involved a truck-tractor, and 33.6% of those with a known hour were between 9 p.m. and 5:59 a.m., hours that are 37.5% of the clock. The busiest single weekday-hour was Wednesday 12 p.m. with 70 crashes. Texas had the most crashes: 773.

Put your schedule on the clock

Pick the days and hours you drive. The calculator counts the recorded crashes in those weekday-hours.

Your schedule on the clock

Bars: crash counts by clock hour, all days. Highlighted bars: clock hours you drive on at least one day.

What your schedule covers

Crashes in your driving hours

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Weekly clock hours you drive
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Share of the 168-hour week
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Crashes in those hours
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Of crashes with a known hour
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Night hours (9 pm to 5:59 am) you drive
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Pre-filled values are Example data. Replace them with your own schedule. Hours are the local clock hour you are driving.

Your schedule
The first day of the run.
Whole number, 1 to 7.
Local time you start driving.
Whole number, 1 to 16.

Enter your schedule.

Formula: every day you drive adds the clock hours from the start hour for the length you enter; hours past midnight count on the next weekday. Share = crashes in those weekday-hour cells / all crashes with a known hour. Clock share = cells / 168. Counts are not rates. Nothing you type leaves this page.

The week on one clock

Each cell is one weekday and one clock hour, 2023 and 2024 combined.

12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9pSunSunday 12 a.m.: 18 crashesSunday 1 a.m.: 24 crashesSunday 2 a.m.: 34 crashesSunday 3 a.m.: 27 crashesSunday 4 a.m.: 18 crashesSunday 5 a.m.: 14 crashesSunday 6 a.m.: 11 crashesSunday 7 a.m.: 13 crashesSunday 8 a.m.: 5 crashesSunday 9 a.m.: 16 crashesSunday 10 a.m.: 16 crashesSunday 11 a.m.: 13 crashesSunday 12 p.m.: 12 crashesSunday 1 p.m.: 11 crashesSunday 2 p.m.: 17 crashesSunday 3 p.m.: 17 crashesSunday 4 p.m.: 14 crashesSunday 5 p.m.: 18 crashesSunday 6 p.m.: 18 crashesSunday 7 p.m.: 18 crashesSunday 8 p.m.: 16 crashesSunday 9 p.m.: 21 crashesSunday 10 p.m.: 23 crashesSunday 11 p.m.: 24 crashesMonMonday 12 a.m.: 11 crashesMonday 1 a.m.: 22 crashesMonday 2 a.m.: 26 crashesMonday 3 a.m.: 23 crashesMonday 4 a.m.: 28 crashesMonday 5 a.m.: 35 crashesMonday 6 a.m.: 40 crashesMonday 7 a.m.: 43 crashesMonday 8 a.m.: 49 crashesMonday 9 a.m.: 37 crashesMonday 10 a.m.: 46 crashesMonday 11 a.m.: 36 crashesMonday 12 p.m.: 57 crashesMonday 1 p.m.: 49 crashesMonday 2 p.m.: 38 crashesMonday 3 p.m.: 50 crashesMonday 4 p.m.: 39 crashesMonday 5 p.m.: 31 crashesMonday 6 p.m.: 36 crashesMonday 7 p.m.: 29 crashesMonday 8 p.m.: 26 crashesMonday 9 p.m.: 30 crashesMonday 10 p.m.: 30 crashesMonday 11 p.m.: 26 crashesTueTuesday 12 a.m.: 28 crashesTuesday 1 a.m.: 28 crashesTuesday 2 a.m.: 23 crashesTuesday 3 a.m.: 23 crashesTuesday 4 a.m.: 26 crashesTuesday 5 a.m.: 36 crashesTuesday 6 a.m.: 41 crashesTuesday 7 a.m.: 44 crashesTuesday 8 a.m.: 37 crashesTuesday 9 a.m.: 45 crashesTuesday 10 a.m.: 40 crashesTuesday 11 a.m.: 43 crashesTuesday 12 p.m.: 44 crashesTuesday 1 p.m.: 50 crashesTuesday 2 p.m.: 61 crashesTuesday 3 p.m.: 44 crashesTuesday 4 p.m.: 38 crashesTuesday 5 p.m.: 50 crashesTuesday 6 p.m.: 31 crashesTuesday 7 p.m.: 24 crashesTuesday 8 p.m.: 27 crashesTuesday 9 p.m.: 29 crashesTuesday 10 p.m.: 30 crashesTuesday 11 p.m.: 25 crashesWedWednesday 12 a.m.: 20 crashesWednesday 1 a.m.: 23 crashesWednesday 2 a.m.: 25 crashesWednesday 3 a.m.: 25 crashesWednesday 4 a.m.: 38 crashesWednesday 5 a.m.: 32 crashesWednesday 6 a.m.: 44 crashesWednesday 7 a.m.: 44 crashesWednesday 8 a.m.: 42 crashesWednesday 9 a.m.: 31 crashesWednesday 10 a.m.: 45 crashesWednesday 11 a.m.: 43 crashesWednesday 12 p.m.: 70 crashesWednesday 1 p.m.: 62 crashesWednesday 2 p.m.: 53 crashesWednesday 3 p.m.: 57 crashesWednesday 4 p.m.: 44 crashesWednesday 5 p.m.: 39 crashesWednesday 6 p.m.: 30 crashesWednesday 7 p.m.: 21 crashesWednesday 8 p.m.: 32 crashesWednesday 9 p.m.: 38 crashesWednesday 10 p.m.: 33 crashesWednesday 11 p.m.: 26 crashesThuThursday 12 a.m.: 27 crashesThursday 1 a.m.: 25 crashesThursday 2 a.m.: 38 crashesThursday 3 a.m.: 34 crashesThursday 4 a.m.: 32 crashesThursday 5 a.m.: 53 crashesThursday 6 a.m.: 58 crashesThursday 7 a.m.: 46 crashesThursday 8 a.m.: 38 crashesThursday 9 a.m.: 56 crashesThursday 10 a.m.: 32 crashesThursday 11 a.m.: 47 crashesThursday 12 p.m.: 55 crashesThursday 1 p.m.: 50 crashesThursday 2 p.m.: 49 crashesThursday 3 p.m.: 46 crashesThursday 4 p.m.: 40 crashesThursday 5 p.m.: 37 crashesThursday 6 p.m.: 36 crashesThursday 7 p.m.: 21 crashesThursday 8 p.m.: 25 crashesThursday 9 p.m.: 35 crashesThursday 10 p.m.: 29 crashesThursday 11 p.m.: 31 crashesFriFriday 12 a.m.: 32 crashesFriday 1 a.m.: 30 crashesFriday 2 a.m.: 27 crashesFriday 3 a.m.: 30 crashesFriday 4 a.m.: 50 crashesFriday 5 a.m.: 48 crashesFriday 6 a.m.: 40 crashesFriday 7 a.m.: 39 crashesFriday 8 a.m.: 36 crashesFriday 9 a.m.: 49 crashesFriday 10 a.m.: 42 crashesFriday 11 a.m.: 48 crashesFriday 12 p.m.: 37 crashesFriday 1 p.m.: 36 crashesFriday 2 p.m.: 51 crashesFriday 3 p.m.: 36 crashesFriday 4 p.m.: 34 crashesFriday 5 p.m.: 32 crashesFriday 6 p.m.: 26 crashesFriday 7 p.m.: 26 crashesFriday 8 p.m.: 34 crashesFriday 9 p.m.: 32 crashesFriday 10 p.m.: 35 crashesFriday 11 p.m.: 34 crashesSatSaturday 12 a.m.: 35 crashesSaturday 1 a.m.: 37 crashesSaturday 2 a.m.: 49 crashesSaturday 3 a.m.: 35 crashesSaturday 4 a.m.: 22 crashesSaturday 5 a.m.: 27 crashesSaturday 6 a.m.: 24 crashesSaturday 7 a.m.: 21 crashesSaturday 8 a.m.: 19 crashesSaturday 9 a.m.: 19 crashesSaturday 10 a.m.: 24 crashesSaturday 11 a.m.: 18 crashesSaturday 12 p.m.: 30 crashesSaturday 1 p.m.: 19 crashesSaturday 2 p.m.: 22 crashesSaturday 3 p.m.: 21 crashesSaturday 4 p.m.: 27 crashesSaturday 5 p.m.: 23 crashesSaturday 6 p.m.: 15 crashesSaturday 7 p.m.: 11 crashesSaturday 8 p.m.: 18 crashesSaturday 9 p.m.: 14 crashesSaturday 10 p.m.: 24 crashesSaturday 11 p.m.: 16 crashesDarker = more crashes
Source: NHTSA FARS, retrieved Oct 10, 2026. 5,433 crashes with a known day and hour; 6 crashes with an unknown hour are left out.

The same numbers as a table

Fatal crashes involving a truck-tractor by day of week and clock hour
Day12a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11p
Sunday18243427181411135161613121117171418181816212324
Monday112226232835404349374636574938503931362926303026
Tuesday282823232636414437454043445061443850312427293025
Wednesday202325253832444442314543706253574439302132383326
Thursday272538343253584638563247555049464037362125352931
Friday323027305048403936494248373651363432262634323534
Saturday353749352227242119192418301922212723151118142416

Crashes by clock hour, all days

010020030040012a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p

Highest hour: 12 p.m. with 305 crashes. Lowest: 7 p.m. with 150.

By state

Click a heading to sort. Counts are crashes in the state, not carriers based there. A big state has more of every kind of crash; the night share compares states of different size.

Fatal crashes involving a truck-tractor by state, 2023 and 2024
StateCrashesDeathsShare of U.S. crashesNight crashesNight share of known hours
Alabama1651753.0%5231.5%
Alaska780.1%342.9%
Arizona1631973.0%5936.2%
Arkansas1191382.2%3327.7%
California4014387.4%18846.9%
Colorado881011.6%2528.4%
Connecticut28340.5%1760.7%
Delaware890.1%562.5%
Florida3043325.6%11939.1%
Georgia2142403.9%7936.9%
Hawaii220.0%150.0%
Idaho55651.0%1018.2%
Illinois2042383.8%6230.4%
Indiana1591702.9%4528.3%
Iowa71771.3%2028.2%
Kansas84991.5%2428.9%
Kentucky1031101.9%3332.0%
Louisiana1031161.9%3735.9%
Maine19200.3%315.8%
Maryland54581.0%2342.6%
Massachusetts15150.3%640.0%
Michigan1031201.9%2423.3%
Minnesota76871.4%1215.8%
Mississippi1151282.1%3732.2%
Missouri1541772.8%3724.0%
Montana32350.6%825.0%
Nebraska66791.2%1523.1%
Nevada45590.8%1328.9%
New Hampshire660.1%00.0%
New Jersey47540.9%2144.7%
New Mexico1201322.2%6150.8%
New York82891.5%3542.7%
North Carolina1631813.0%5030.7%
North Dakota35380.6%1028.6%
Ohio1742043.2%4727.0%
Oklahoma1371602.5%4230.7%
Oregon70941.3%2231.4%
Pennsylvania1551852.8%5434.8%
Rhode Island220.0%2100.0%
South Carolina1221382.2%3831.1%
South Dakota29320.5%517.2%
Tennessee1721923.2%4627.4%
Texas77387214.2%29237.8%
Utah51650.9%1733.3%
Vermont330.1%00.0%
Virginia1131242.1%3531.0%
Washington64681.2%1828.1%
West Virginia41480.8%614.6%
Wisconsin861061.6%2124.4%
Wyoming37440.7%1129.7%

Source: NHTSA FARS, retrieved Oct 10, 2026. Night is 9 pm to 5:59 am. Small states have few crashes, so their night share moves a lot from one year to the next.

Conditions at the time

The same crashes by the light, the weather, the road type and the work zone code recorded in FARS.

Light condition at the time of the crash
Light conditionCrashesShare
Daylight2,95054.2%
Dark - Not Lighted1,63530.1%
Dark - Lighted60211.1%
Dawn1272.3%
Dusk851.6%
Dark - Unknown Lighting320.6%
Not Reported40.1%
Other20.0%
Reported as Unknown20.0%
Weather at the time of the crash
WeatherCrashesShare
Clear3,93172.3%
Cloudy72713.4%
Rain4087.5%
Not Reported1482.7%
Fog, Smog, Smoke1001.8%
Snow621.1%
Blowing Snow160.3%
Severe Crosswinds130.2%
Sleet or Hail120.2%
Blowing Sand, Soil, Dirt100.2%
Reported as Unknown50.1%
Freezing Rain or Drizzle40.1%
Other30.1%
Rural or urban location
LocationCrashesShare
Rural3,22059.2%
Urban2,20740.6%
Not Reported50.1%
Unknown50.1%
Trafficway Not in State Inventory20.0%
Work zone recorded
Work zoneCrashesShare
In a work zone3286.0%
Not in a work zone5,11194.0%

What this number means

  • The night count is a count. Night has far less traffic, so the risk per mile cannot be read from it.
  • 59.2% of these crashes were recorded on rural roads and 40.6% on urban roads; the rest are unknown or not in the state inventory.
  • 30.1% were recorded on dark roads with no lighting, and 6.0% in a work zone. Those are features of the road, not of the people driving it.

What to do about it

  • Use the calculator to see how much of your week is in the night window, then check the hours-of-service plan for rest at those times.
  • Treat dark rural segments as a planning item: fuel, parking and rest before them, not in them.
  • Do not use these counts to rank drivers or carriers. They carry no exposure.

Questions

Which crashes are counted?

Fatal crashes in the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in which at least one vehicle has the body type "truck-tractor" (code 66). A crash counts once, however many vehicles were in it. Crashes with no fatality are not in FARS.

Does this say when driving is most dangerous?

No. The numbers are counts, not rates. Counts are low where traffic is thin even if the risk per mile is high, and high where traffic is dense even if the risk per mile is low. Without miles driven in each hour you cannot rank hours by risk.

Who is at fault in these crashes?

The counts say nothing about fault. FARS records that a truck-tractor was involved. In many of these crashes the other driver is the one at fault, and FARS does not decide.

Why show a schedule calculator?

To make the clock concrete: it counts how many weekly clock hours your schedule covers and how many of the recorded crashes fall in them. It is a context check for planning rest and night driving, not a risk score for your company.

How current is it?

FARS publishes one data year at a time, with a lag of well over a year. This page uses the 2023 and 2024 files retrieved Oct 10, 2026. Later years will change the picture.

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