The Truck Safety Coalition has released data showing the number of fatal truck crashes by state. Tennessee had 156 fatal crashes in 2005 and 717 in the five-year period from 2001-2005. By comparison, Alabama had 122 fatal crashes in 2005 (706 in five-years), Kentucky had 124 (596), Arkansas had 116 (531), Mississippi had 91 (445) and Georgia had 229 (1162).
Tennessee had 2.62 fatal crashes per 100,000 people, the 15th highest rate in the country. Wyoming was the worst at 6.09. Rhode Island had the best rate at .09. Eight states in the Southeast were amoung the twenty states with the highest death rates.
Another 114,000 persons were injured in truck crashes in 2005.