Truck Accident Statistics

                                                                                         

While large truck accidents are a small percentage of vehicular accidents that occur each year, crashes that involve large trucks have a higher risk at proving fatal for those involved in the accident. In 98% of car crashes that involve a large truck, at least one person involved in the crash is killed, and in most cases it is the driver or passenger of the smaller vehicle.

While many people believe that these accidents are generally the fault of the truck driver, that is not actually so. In fact, only 25% of accidents that involve large trucks are due to truck driver error, with a staggering 75% being caused by the driver of another vehicle. Additionally, many people seem to want to attribute accidents that involve large trucks to the use of alcohol or drugs on the truck drivers part, when this could not be further from the truth. Statistics show that only 1% of accidents involving a large truck are due to alcohol or drug abuse, and are most commonly the fault of drunk drivers in small vehicles.

There is however, one common belief that people hold involving truck accidents that appears to hold some water. Many people contribute truck accidents due to lack of rest and truck drivers falling asleep behind the wheel. Since more than 30% of fatal accidents involving a truck driver are attributed to this reason, it is understandable that people feel the way they do.

Studies have also shown that there are certain locations that have a higher risk for truck accidents than others. Approximately 69% of accidents involving a large truck occur in rural areas, with only 32% occurring in more urban and populated regions. There is also a higher risk of being involved in a truck accident on the weekends, since 78% of truck accidents occur during this time.

About the author:
Personal injury laws can be difficult to navigate without the assistance of a lawyer. An Iowa truck accident lawyer, wrongful death lawyer, or defective truck parts attorney can help victims receive the compensation they need in order to recover both physically and financially from an accident.

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