National Statistics on Large Truck Driving Accidents and Your Safety on the Road

                                                                                         

Every year thousands of people are involved in large truck driving accidents. Because of the size of large trucks compared to average motor vehicles and the impact that a collision with a large trucks produces, the number of fatalities due to these types of accidents is very high.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 4,500 large trucks were involved in fatal accidents in 2007. The most fatal type of collision with a large truck is from the front. The second-most fatal type of collision with a truck is being hit from the rear. In 2007, 60 percent of large truck accident fatalities occurred from head-on collisions; 16 percent of fatalities occurred from rear-end collisions with large trucks.

Fatalities from large truck accidents also occur when a truck rolls over or jackknifes. Large trucks generally roll over when attempting to go around curves. A bad combination of speed, slope, and curve angle can cause a big rig to rollover at very low speeds. Approximately 55 percent of all fatalities to truck drivers are due to rollovers. A large truck is also more susceptible to rollovers if its tanker is not full.

A large truck will jackknife when the drive axle brakes lock up. If this happens, the driver has no control over steering, and eventually the truck will jackknife; rollovers often occur when a truck jackknifes. When a truck is jackknifing, the trailer will swing out and become parallel with the driver’s cab. This is often a very dangerous situation on highways and interstates as the jackknifing truck will occupy several lanes, potentially causing head-on collisions with oncoming traffic and multiple-car pile ups. Bad weather or road conditions are usually a cause for a truck to jackknife. There were over 3,000 fatalities in 2007 due to large trucks jackknifing.

Should you or a loved one ever be involved in an accident with a large truck, be sure to speak with a legal representative.

About the author:
Personal injury law is designed to protect individuals and families from financial and physical injuries caused by negligence. Truck accident attorneys have the knowledge and expertise to protect your legal rights and help resolve your personal injury or wrongful death claim.

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