NSW truck deaths have increased by more than 86 per cent in 12 months, as police report increased heavy vehicle traffic connected to major construction projects.

In the 12 months to September, deaths have leapt from 29 to 54, by far the biggest increase since at least 2009 when the federal government first started releasing counts of fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles.

The statistics, released quarterly by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE), singled out deaths involving articulated trucks. They are among the largest vehicles on the road, including road trains and B-doubles, and identifiable by their detachable trailer.

Nearly half of all truck deaths occurred in NSW, which accounted for 45 per cent of the 121 deaths involving articulated trucks in Australia – the largest contributor to the national death toll which increased 11 per cent over the period.