Truck Accident Statistics
A truck accident involving a big truck and a smaller vehicle or pedestrians, often has very tragic consequences. A big truck can weigh more than 80,000 pounds and can go up to 75 feet in length. Considering these numbers, it is not shocking that truck accidents result in more grievous injuries and larger number of deaths than other traffic accidents. What is shocking though are the alarming truck accident statistics.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) releases data about truck accidents, which is then published by many organizations as truck accident statistics. The roads of the United States witness over 500,000 truck accidents each year. Of these total truck accidents, a high number end in fatalities, with statistics putting the number of deaths due to truck accidents at about 5,000 each year.
Twelve percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States are caused because of truck accidents. Tractor trailer truck accidents are especially dangerous. In such truck accidents, an alarming 98% of the time, the passengers or driver in the other vehicle is killed as opposed to people in the truck.
But this does not indicate that the truck driver is mainly at fault in truck accidents. Contrary to popular belief, more than 75% of truck accidents are caused, not by the truck driver, but because of an error of the driver of other smaller vehicles involved in the crash.
Some Truck Accident Statistics Of Individual States
- In 2003, Texas witnessed 5040 fatal traffic accidents, of which 438 were fatal truck accidents. This number has risen from 5039 total traffic accidents and 401 fatal truck accidents for the previous year 2002.
- Similarly, in Pennsylvania, there were 2233 fatal traffic accidents in 2003, of which 213 were fatal truck accidents, as opposed to corresponding numbers of 2198 and 174 for the year 2002.
- Florida had 4432 fatal traffic accidents in 2003, with 343 of them involving trucks, which was higher than 4431 total traffic accidents for 2002 but lower than the 351 fatal truck accidents in the same period.
- The highest number of fatal traffic accidents happened in California, with the number being a staggering 5725 fatal auto accidents in 2003. But at 332, the number of fatal truck accidents was not the highest among all states in the US.
In the US on the whole, there were 58,512 fatal auto crashes in 2003, of which 4669 were that of fatal big truck accidents. Statistics for 2003 show that truck accidents are more in rural areas (68%) than in urban regions (32%), with the weekends having the majority of all fatal truck accidents at 78%.
Driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs is seen as one of the leading causes of truck accidents. But the truck accident statistics have another story to tell. As per statistics, only about 1% of all fatal truck accidents in 2003, in the US, could be attributed to a drunken truck driver. Truck driver fatigue though does play an important role in truck accidents, with more than 30% of all truck accidents caused due to truckers driving without taking enough rest and getting the required amount of sleep.
If you too have been unfortunate enough to be involved in a truck accident, do not settle for becoming a truck accident statistic. You should consult with an experienced truck accident lawyer to know all about your legal options regarding truck accidents.
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