Extensive Statistics of Truck Accidents and Victims Reveal the true cost of these occurrences.
Posted on 23. May, 2011 by lawyer in Truck Accident
Trucks are a vital part of America’s economy and infrastructure, but unfortunately, trucking accidents do occur due to negligent driving and other factors. Any driver should know about trucking accidents in order to avoid becoming a victim of one. Trucks are defined as any trailer-carrying vehicle of over 10,000 pounds for these statistics.
About 500,000 truck accidents occur every year in the United States, with about 5,000 fatalities resulting from these crashes. Around 98 percent of the time, these fatalities are from passengers in other vehicles. One out of every eight traffic accidents involves a truck, and they are more likely to be involved in fatal multi-vehicle wrecks than passenger cars or motorcycles. However, only about one percent of all accidents involving trucks are due to one of the parties driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Trucking accidents are more likely to occur in rural areas. Sixty-eight percent of trucking accidents occur in rural areas, and 66 percent occur during the daytime. Additionally, 78 percent of trucking accidents occur on weekdays. For those truckers that have been involved in accidents, just over one-fourth of them have previous convictions for speeding.
When trucking accidents are examined on a state-by-state basis, the numbers can be revealing. Texas has the most fatal truck crashes per state, with 432 in 2003. In Oregon, 1,134 trucking accidents occurred in 2004 that resulted in vehicular damage, injuries or fatalities. Of these crashes, 621 were due to the truck, and 596 were due to negligence on the part of the truck driver. While around 400 people were injured in these crashes, only 6 of the truck drivers died as a result of those injuries. In three percent of these cases, the trucker was hauling hazardous materials.
While overall fatal vehicular crashes tend to decline each year, despite more cars and trucks being on the road, truck-related fatalities stay at around 5,000 each year. About half of these accidents occur on the front side of the truck, and 720 involved the rear end of the truck; the rest occurred on the left or right sides, usually while the truck was turning. In around 600 cases, the truck rolled over, leading to an accident.
These statistics show that more measures must be taken in order to ensure truck safety, including driver training and alertness, as well as keeping trucks well-maintained and operable.
This article is provided as information only and not intended as legal advice in any means or manner whatsoever, Attorneys Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart, and Shipley P.A. provide focused legal counsel and representation related to Truck Accidents, and has provided this for informational purposes only.
