Truck Driving Statistics Show that Truck Accident Fatalities are Too Common
According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) the statistics for truck accidents are quite telling. The NHTSA looks at trucks of various sizes. For trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds, there were 380,000 truck accidents in 2008. Over 4,000 people died. One out of every nine traffic fatalities involved a truck. About 90,000 people were killed in these truck accidents. For the 10 years prior to 2008, the number of registered commercial trucks in the US averaged over 8 million trucks.
Of those killed about 3 out of 4 were occupants of another vehicle. About 10 percent were not occupants of any vehicle and 16% were in the large truck (either as a driver or passenger). The percentages for those injured (but not killed) were nearly the same. The statistics get worse for multiple-vehicle crashes. 82% of large trucks were involved in multiple-vehicle crashes. 58% of passenger vehicles were involved in multiple vehicle crashes.
For two-vehicle crashes (one truck and one other vehicle), the vehicles were traveling in a straight line half the time. 9% of the time the non-truck was turning. 9% of the time one vehicle was on a curve. 8% of the time, one of the vehicles was stopped (usually the truck). 64 percent of the large truck fatal accidents happened in rural areas. Two-thirds happened during the day and 80 percent happened on weekdays.
The driver of the passenger car was twice as likely to have a suspended license as the truck driver. 24% of large truck drivers (for fatal accidents) had a prior speeding ticket vs. 18% for passenger car drivers (fatal accidents).
How Joe Miller Law Can Help
The statistics don’t lie. On average, trucks are a potentially dangerous presence on our roadways and can wreak havoc when the driver is negligent. Unfortunately, sometimes these accidents will be deadly. If someone you know was killed in a truck accident, or if you were hurt in one of these accidents, you need experienced legal counsel. Contact Joe Miller Esq. at Joe Miller Law, or call today at (888) 694-1671 for information and a consultation on how to proceed and whether you could secure compensation for your losses.
