Commercial Truck Driving Accidents

There are fewer cars on the road right now than we have probably seen in our lifetimes because of COVID-19. The fact that vehicle accidents are down is positive. Commercial truckers, however, are busier than ever in their roles on the front lines, bringing necessary medical equipment, groceries, and supplies to where we all need them most.

While they are not competing with as many cars on the road as normal, commercial trucking accidents will continue to be a risk. It will be a while until we have a better sense of the number of commercial trucking accidents during this time. However, we can look at recent trucking accident statistics to understand where and when they are most likely to happen.

According to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the majority of truck accident fatalities are occupants in passenger vehicles hit by the truck. Our lawyers can help if someone you know has been injured because of a commercial trucking accident. We can assess your accident and injuries and discuss your legal rights.

Common Causes of Commercial Trucking Accidents?

The most common factors involved in commercial truck driving accidents are preventable errors and behaviors on the part of drivers. Some of the more common examples include:

• Truck driver failing to yield the right of way
• Careless/reckless driving
• Improper lane usage
• Failure to obey traffic signs and signals
• Improper following
• Over-correcting the steering wheel
• Stopping in a roadway
• Erratic driving
• Improper lane change
• Improper turn

Commercial Truck Accident Statistics

These statistics from IIHS provide some insight into commercial truck statistics in 2018:

• A total of 4,136 people died in large truck crashes. Sixteen percent of these deaths were truck drivers, 67 percents were passengers or drivers of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 15 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists.
• 62 percent of large truck occupants killed in multiple vehicle crashes were involved in collisions with another large truck.
• 11 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities were involved in large truck crashes.
• Seventy-four percent of deaths in commercial truck crashes were accidents involving tractor-trailers while 27 percent of crashes involved single-unit trucks.
• 52 percent of large truck crash fatalities happened on major roads other than interstates and freeways, 33 percent happened on interstates and freeways, and 14 percent were on minor roads. Rural areas experience the most commercial trucking accidents.
• 50 percent of commercial truck accident deaths happened between the hours of 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., compared with 30 percent of crash deaths not involving large trucks.

If you have any questions or have been impacted by a recent commercial trucking accident, contact us.