1. Truck Accident Stats in the US
There is a popular saying often seen on bumper stickers that goes, “If you bought it, a truck brought it.” Adages like
these are often exaggerations but a drive on any highway confirms this claim as truth. Our commerce depends on
trucking. Over fifteen million trucks and three million 18 wheeler truck attorney travel our roads every day.
All details provided on behalf of the trucking injury lawyer firm of Goldberg & Osborne, and is intended for
educational purposes only.
More than 300,000 trucking companies are generating a quarter trillion dollars of revenues annually. Without
these truckers, stores and businesses would be empty and our economy would grind to a halt. However, the
convenience of truck delivery comes with a price. We all know the occasional frustration of sharing our highways
with massive multi-ton rigs. Dealing with huge trucks barreling at high speeds in convoys or getting stuck behind
an eighteen-wheeler slowing climbing a steep hill can tax both our patience and driving skills. Trucks can be
challenging to share the roads with but what do the statistics say about how safe they are?
More information can be found on this site.
Annual Truck Fatalities
In a recent year, highway accidents involving trucks caused nearly 3500 fatalities annually including the deaths of
approximately 600 truck drivers. Combination units trucks hauling multiple trainers accounted for two-thirds of
these fatal truck accidents. Of the fatalities, nearly two-thirds were due to roll-over accidents and fuel-oil fires. 65
percent of fatal accidents occur on truck routes longer than fifty miles.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Almost 90 percent of truck accidents involve some type of driver error while about ten percent are attributed to
vehicle malfunction. Some of the human error factors that most attributed to fatal truck accident lawyer were
speeding, unfamiliarity with the roadway, and fatigue. To help prevent fatigue, there are legal guidelines that truck
drivers must follow. A trucker may only drive eleven hours at a time and then must break for ten hours. In an
eight-day stretch. they may only be on the road for 70 hours. The most common mechanical factor in accidents is
brake failure. Additionally, nearly seventy percent of truck accidents involved poor decisions made by automobile
drivers resulting in unsafe interaction with the trucker.
Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written
by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or
accuracy.