The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported a significant increase in the number of large truck accidents. Eighty-one percent came in the form of multiple-vehicle crashes while 58 percent of fatal crashes involved passenger vehicles. There were also 104,000 people injured in crashes involving large trucks.
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After investigating large truck accidents from 2011 to 2012, the NHTSA’s study showed a rise in various forms of accidents.
In 2012, there were 3,921 people killed in crashes that involved large trucks. These large trucks had gross vehicle weights of more than 10,000 pounds. The large trucks causing these accidents numbered 333,000.
In the years spanning from 2011 to 2012, the fatalities involving large trucks showed a four percent increase. Of the 2012 fatalities:
- 73 percent were occupants of other vehicles
- 18 percent were large truck occupants
- 10 percent were non-occupants such as pedestrians and cyclists
In addition, there was a five percent increase in the number of occupants of non-large truck vehicles and a nine percent increase in the number of large truck occupants killed.
When local injuries or fatalities occur, a Nashville truck accident attorney can help.
Large truck fatalities
Large trucks are seen on US roads and highways at all times during the day and night. And generally speaking, most large trucks operate safely among those smaller vehicles with whom they share the road.
But there are exceptions. Take, for example, a mother, her two young sons and her mother who died instantly when a three-axle Intercontinental 9400 semitrailer failed to slow down in time and ran into the back of them on I-80. The driver of that semi also died. This horrific accident left one grieving man a young widower without a family. In sad occurrences like these, a Nashville truck accident attorney can help.
Then there’s the Tracy Morgan accident that left him injured and his friend dead when Morgan’s chauffeured van was struck. The Wal-Mart truck was equipped with state-of-the-art collision-avoidance systems that featured forward-looking radar and interactive cruise control along with an on-board computer, blind spot sensors and electronic controls that limited its speed to 65 miles per hour. All of these systems were supposed to kick in when it sensed traffic was slowing down.
They didn’t.
The truck driver was charged with vehicular homicide. He hadn’t slept for 24 hours.
And those haven’t been the only accidents involving large trucks. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has focused their attention on a number of increasing issues. These have included:
- vehicle maintenance
- medical qualifications
- drug and alcohol testing of drivers
- driver fatigue
- equipment and technology
Driver fatigue
Driver fatigue is among the major causes of large truck accidents that cause fatalities and injuries. Federal law dictates that large truck drivers can drive up to 11 hours at a time and up to 70 hours over a seven-day period, down from the previous amount of 82 hours. Drivers must also have rest periods of 34 hours when they’ve driven for 70 hours and a 30-minute break during an eight-hour shift.
Numerous surveys have shown that many drivers violate these regulations and work longer than allowed.
Why are large truck accidents on the rise?
American Trucking Association executive vice president David Osiecki says the increase in large truck accidents is no mystery. “Simply put, there are more trucks on the road. A growing improvement in the economy results in more goods being shipped. More goods mean more trucks, and more trucks mean the potential for more accidents.” Osiecki also believes that many states have “taken their eyes off enforcement activity. There is a lot less enforcement.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has also provided reasons that contribute to large truck accidents. A 2009 FMCSA study found that 71 percent of large truck crashes occurred when the driver was doing something else other than driving. Some of the issues included:
- Driver distraction from dialing phones, texting, using dispatching devices, eating, reading, adjusting the radio, or passing a billboard, building or a person
- Inadequate evasive action from failure to slow for stopped or slowed traffic, abrupt steering maneuvers or insufficient braking or steering
Large truck injuries
The NHTSA study showed that there were 104,000 people injured in crashes involving large trucks in 2012 alone. This was an 18 percent increase from 88,000 in 2011. Of those injured:
- 73 percent were occupants of other vehicles
- 24 percent were occupants of large trucks
- 3 percent were non-occupants such as pedestrians and cyclists
The data strongly shows that large truck accidents continue to be on the rise, taking with them fatalities and injuries. Authorities need to address the situation, and those who have been involved in crashes should consult a Nashville truck accident attorney for assistance related to these incidents.