Ministry of Transport statistics show that drivers of heavy trucks are to blame in fewer crashes.
However, the Road Transport Forum says the percentage of fatal accidents involving trucks, that were caused by another vehicle, has risen from about 63% to nearly 74% over the past four years.
Chief executive Tony Friedlander says the figures also show the number of truck-related fatal accidents fell from 97 a decade ago, to 53 in 2008.
The total distance that heavy trucks travelled annually rose by a third Over the same period.
