Truck accidents can cause fatalities and serious injuries

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 9.7 percent of vehicles involved in deadly accidents in Pennsylvania were large trucks. These trucks make up nearly 5 percent of the nation’s total number of trucks involved in fatal accidents. Truck accidents have become concern all over the country due to the number of fatalities. Statistics show that approximately 3,921 people were killed and over 100,000 people were injured in 2012 large truck accidents.

Both injuries and fatalities have increased in accidents involving large trucks. The fatalities in large-truck crashes are mostly occupants of other vehicles. However, the number of large-truck occupants killed appears to be on the rise. The number of large-truck occupant fatalities increased 9 percent from 2011 to 2012.

Interestingly, in 2012, large trucks accounted for only 4 percent of all vehicles on the roads, but still accounted for 8 percent of vehicles involved in deadly crashes. The accidents involving these trucks tended to be multi-vehicle accidents during the work week. A vast majority of these weekday crashes occurred during daylight hours, between 6 a.m. and 5:59 p.m. In 2012, about 2 percent of large-truck drivers involved in accidents in 2012 had blood alcohol concentration levels over the legal limit.

All these statistics show how dangerous trucks on the roads can be. Truck drivers need to be aware of the unique characteristics of their vehicles and be especially cautious when on the road. When a person is involved in an accident involving a truck, courts may award the injured person damages to cover their medical expenses.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Traffic Safety Facts: 2012 Data,” accessed on Oct. 14, 2014