Hazmat incident statistics: PHMSA data, 2018–2022
Five-year snapshot of US hazardous materials transportation incidents reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Every figure is sourced directly from PHMSA's public data portal or named annual reports.
Five-year incident trend
Source: PHMSA Annual Hazardous Materials Incident Reports, published by DOT/PHMSA. CY = calendar year. Data as reported; minor year-over-year methodology revisions may affect comparability.
| Year | Total incidents | Fatalities | Injuries | Evacuees | Property damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 18,669 | 10 | 301 | 10,217 | ~$57.5M |
| 2021 | 17,082 | 16 | 221 | 7,854 | ~$44.2M |
| 2020 | 16,132 | 14 | 253 | 6,312 | ~$39.8M |
| 2019 | 17,380 | 14 | 390 | 11,543 | ~$55.1M |
| 2018 | 19,149 | 9 | 369 | 14,201 | ~$62.3M |
Property damage figures are approximate, derived from PHMSA incident report totals, and may differ from BTS published aggregates. Evacuee counts reflect persons evacuated due to hazmat incidents as reported by carriers and emergency responders.
Incidents by transportation mode (CY2022)
Source: PHMSA Hazardous Materials Incident Database, queried for CY2022 by mode.
| Mode | Incidents | Share of total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highway (truck) | 15,847 | 84.9% | Largest segment by far; includes package delivery, tanker, and flatbed |
| Air (cargo) | 1,508 | 8.1% | Primarily undeclared / mis-declared lithium batteries and flammables |
| Rail | 1,217 | 6.5% | Tank car and bulk commodity rail; lower per-shipment incident rate |
| Water (vessel) | 97 | 0.5% | Domestic marine; excludes international vessel incidents |
Highway incidents by hazard class (CY2022, approximate)
Source: PHMSA Hazardous Materials Incident Database. Counts reflect incidents on highway mode; rounding applied. "Approximate" indicates figures are derived from PHMSA database queries and may differ from published aggregates by ± 2–5%.
| Hazard class | Approx. incidents | Share of highway | Common examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 3 — Flammable liquids | ~6,200 | ~39% | Gasoline, paint, solvents, resins |
| Class 8 — Corrosive materials | ~3,100 | ~20% | Sulfuric acid, NaOH, HCl, bleach |
| Class 9 — Miscellaneous | ~2,700 | ~17% | Lithium batteries, dry ice, UN3082 |
| Class 4 — Flammable solids | ~1,100 | ~7% | Matches, metal powders, charcoal |
| Class 5 — Oxidizers | ~900 | ~6% | Ammonium nitrate, pool chemicals |
| Class 6 — Toxic substances | ~700 | ~4% | Pesticides, TCE, toxic solvents |
| Class 2 — Gases | ~600 | ~4% | Propane cylinders, aerosols |
| Other / multiple | ~447 | ~3% | Explosives, radioactive, ORM-D |
Most common incident causes (highway, 2018–2022 average)
Source: PHMSA incident cause categories as reported by carriers in the Hazardous Materials Incident Report (Form DOT F 5800.1). Percentage bands reflect 5-year averages.
Defective packaging, closure failure, or incompatible inner and outer packaging
Pressure relief valve opens in transit; venting cap loosens under load shift
Improper loading, overfilling, or failure to apply required markings and labels
Container walls thin over time; incompatible cargo causes perforation
Collisions, turnovers, or rough road vibration causing package damage
Over-pressure, thermal expansion, unknown cause
The undeclared hazmat problem
DOT estimates that 10–20% of all packages shipped by air annually contain undeclared hazardous materials — items that qualify as hazmat but were not declared as such by the shipper (source: FAA/DOT undeclared hazmat program estimates; PHMSA enforcement data). The most common undeclared items are lithium batteries, flammable aerosols, and flammable liquids shipped through general parcel networks. PHMSA penalty assessments for undeclared hazmat regularly exceed $10,000–$75,000 per violation.
Lithium battery incidents: the fastest-growing category
PHMSA incident data and FAA in-flight lithium battery fire reports both show a clear multi-year upward trend in battery-related incidents, driven by growth in e-commerce, EVs, and battery storage systems. Key data points from named reports:
- FAA Lithium Battery Incident Chart (updated annually): The FAA tracks in-flight smoke, fire, or extreme heat events involving lithium batteries. Incidents increased from 31 events in 2012 to over 100+ per year in 2020–2023. Source: FAA Lithium Battery Incident Chart.
- PHMSA incident trend (highway): Class 9 — which captures most lithium battery shipments under UN3480 / UN3481 — has grown from the fourth-most-common highway hazmat class by incident count to the third, surpassing Class 4 in 2021–2022. Source: PHMSA Incident Database.
- PHMSA enforcement actions: Lithium battery non-compliance (improper packaging, missing markings, undeclared cells) is among the top three citation categories in PHMSA highway enforcement actions since 2020. Source: PHMSA Enforcement Data.
Methodology and sources
All statistics on this page are drawn from the following publicly available primary sources. No original research was conducted by HazmatEasy.
- PHMSA Hazardous Materials Incident Database. Online query tool at phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat-program-management-data-and-statistics/data-operations/incident-statistics. Query date range: CY2018–CY2022. Mode filters applied per table.
- PHMSA Annual Reports to Congress on Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety. Published annually. Available at phmsa.dot.gov/reports-and-statistics/hazmat-reports-publications. Used for 5-year trend table.
- FAA Lithium Battery Incident Chart. Federal Aviation Administration, updated quarterly. Available at faa.gov/hazmat/resources/lithium_batteries/incidents.
- DOT Form F 5800.1 (Hazardous Materials Incident Report). Required report filed by carriers involved in incidents; the underlying data populating the PHMSA database.
Rounding note: Figures presented as "~" are approximations derived from database-level aggregations or cross-source calculations. Figures without "~" are taken directly from PHMSA annual report tables. Users requiring exact figures for regulatory or legal purposes should query the PHMSA database directly.
Coverage limitation: PHMSA incident reporting captures only incidents above reporting thresholds (any release of hazardous material, any death, injury, evacuation, or property damage). Minor spills and near-miss events below these thresholds are not captured in the public dataset.
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