Key Statistics About Commercial Vehicle Crashes
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, over 5 million motor vehicle traffic crashes occur on U.S. roads every year. In 2011, 329,000 accidents involved large trucks and buses. That same year, 112,000 people suffered injuries, and 4,018 people died in crashes involving large trucks and buses.
Statistics show that the larger the vehicle, the more dangerous it is on the road, and the higher the risk that the crash will injure other drivers. For instance, in 2013, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute found that a total of 3,602 people died as a result of crashes involving large trucks. Only 16 percent of these fatalities involved the truck drivers themselves; occupants of passenger vehicles accounted for 67 percent of truck crash deaths, and pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists accounted for 15 percent of related fatalities.
The risk of a crash increases based on a number of factors, including:
- Size of the vehicle
- Weight of the vehicle
- Nature of the cargo
- Length of time the driver has been driving
- Distance driven
Putting a Price Tag on Commercial Truck Accidents
While the cost of a lost human life is difficult if not impossible to measure, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released a report in April 2014 that found that the cost of severe injuries caused by vehicle crashes often easily exceeds $1 million. When an individual suffers injury to the point that he or she can no longer work, or when someone dies in a crash, the loss of income and other damages can add up to staggeringly high amounts.
Why Commercial Vehicle Accidents Are More Dangerous
Large truck crashes constitute just a small portion of the total number of vehicle crashes each year in the U.S., but they tend to be far more costly than the average motor vehicle accident and far more likely to lead to fatalities an serious injuries. Why is this? Many factors contribute to the problem:
- Commercial trucks carry cargo that can become tossed as projectiles or that may include hazardous materials.
- Commercial trucks can weigh around 80,000 pounds – this is twenty times more massive than a standard four-door car.
- Truck drivers often work for hours on end, and many drivers fail to get adequate rest and nutrition.
- Some commercial drivers lack training to handle their vehicles; others get distracted by text messaging or cell phone use.
- Thanks to their heavier masses, commercial vehicles take longer to stop than passenger vehicles do.
If you have been injured in a crash involving a commercial vehicle, you may be eligible to seek compensation for your injuries, time off of work, loss of consortium and other damages. Be sure to collect and preserve potential evidence to use in your case, including names, contact numbers and insurance information from all parties involved in the crash. Take pictures of the accident scene and any injuries, and save paperwork like police reports or emergency room documents. If you’re too sick or exhausted from the ordeal, deputize someone (like a fellow passenger) to get this information for you.
Steve Roberts is the managing attorney at the Law Office of Steve Roberts, LLC. Steve specializes in personal injury cases that stem from motor vehicle accidents. He has developed his personal injury practice and became part of the Colorado legal community as a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the Thompson G. Marsh Inn of Court.
