Truck accidents are quite different from those involving only smaller vehicles. Trucks are heavier and bigger than passenger vehicles, which means the damage they can cause is greater.
Looking at statistics on truck accidents lets you see just how devastating and serious they are. It is a good indicator that there is a lot of work to do to help stop them from occurring.
Basic information about trucks on the road
Trucks make up only 4% of all registered vehicles, but they cover 10% of all miles traveled. The main takeaway here is that they are on the road more often and therefore have a higher chance of an accident. In addition, the main duty of large trucks is transport, so they carry a lot of goods every day across the country and throughout the state.
Fatal truck accidents
Large trucks are a party in 9% of all fatal accidents. Again, they are covering more miles and have a higher chance of crashing because they are more present on roads. But their part in fatal crashes is mostly due to them being so much bigger than other vehicles. The number of fatal truck accidents has steadily risen by 5% since 2016.
Injury accidents with large trucks
Trucks also cause serious injuries in accidents. Before the odd year of 2020, when all road traffic decreased, the number of trucks involved in serious injury accidents steadily increased each year from 2016. Since 2011, the count is up by 31%.
The trouble with truck accidents is for the people in the other vehicles. Generally, the truck driver will walk away unharmed in a multiple-vehicle incident. It is the other parties who end up seriously injured or dead, which means truck drivers and companies have a responsibility to prioritize safety on the roads.