As you know, commercial trucks are massive and can weigh up to 80,000 pounds (lbs) when fully loaded. It’s no surprise that serious devastation is likely to occur when these monstrous vehicles are involved in collisions.
Read on to learn the five troubling truck accident statistics you should know.
#1 - From 2010 to 2018, the prevalence of fatal truck accidents increased by 43%.
From 2018 to 2019, the rate of fatal commercial truck accidents increased by 2%.
#2 - Large trucks make up 10% of all vehicles involved in fatal car accidents.
While that may not seem like a lot, large trucks only make up 4% of all registered vehicles and 7% of the total vehicle miles traveled. That means they are in accidents at a disproportionate rate relative to the number of them that are on the roads.
#3 - Nearly 36% of commercial truck accidents result in injuries.
From 2018 to 2019, there was a 5% increase in the number of commercial truck accidents that resulted in injuries.
#4 - When a truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the truck driver is the least likely to lose their life.
As of 2019, nearly 71% of accidents involving a truck and a passenger vehicle resulted in the passenger vehicle occupant losing their life. By contrast, only about 18% of truck drivers die in the crashes in which they’re involved in. Just over 11% are nonoccupants (such as bicyclists or pedestrians).
#5 - When a car and truck collide, the car driver is most likely to sustain injuries.
As of 2019, almost 70% of collisions involving both a car and truck resulted in injuries for the passenger car driver. Conversely, nearly 29% of the accidents resulted in injuries for the truck driver, and 2.5% of nonoccupants were injured.
We’re Here to Help the Injured
If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, our team at Beardsley, Jensen & Lee wants to do everything possible to help you through this tough time. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our South Dakota truck accident attorneys right away with your questions.
Call our firm today at (605) 777-7466 or fill out an online form for a free case review. Choose a skilled team that truly cares about you and your best interests.