How Many Accidents Do Semi-Trucks Cause Per Year?
Driving next to semi-trucks can be intimidating for any driver, whether you’re experienced or not. They’re so much larger than regular sized vehicles, and they weigh much more, and that can make them scary to share the road with. Tractor trailers and normal sized cars sharing the road could be so scary just because of how dangerous it is when the two collide.
Truck drivers need extra training and to be even more aware because they’re driving a large and heavy vehicle that takes more skill to maneuver. If they don’t give themselves enough time to stop, the outcome can be deadly.
Let’s take a look at how many accidents are caused by semi-trucks each year so that we can better understand the dangerous of these crashes.
Truck Accident Statistics
Large truck crashes are extremely dangerous and cause many fatalities. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), over 4,000 people were killed in tractor trailer wrecks in 2019. Of the fatalities, 67 percent of deaths were the occupants of the regular sized vehicles, and 16 percent of deaths were the occupants of the semi-trucks.
In these accidents, it’s important to note how many involved semi-trucks compared to smaller trucks. In 2019, 74 percent of the fatal truck accidents were caused by tractor trailers. This comes out to over 3,000 deaths caused by semi-trucks that year compared to over 1,000 caused by single-unit trucks.
While fatal accidents are the most devastating, there are far more accidents caused by large trucks every year other than just the deadly crashes. The injuries caused by these collisions can be serious and be debilitating for all passengers involved, which is why we should look at how many accidents in general are caused by semis each year.
Every year, there are about 500,000 accidents that involve tractor trailers, and they can easily cause severe damage because of the size and weight difference between the truck and any smaller vehicle they crash into. In 2019, it was reported that 11 percent of all fatal accidents were caused by large trucks. Let’s take a look at what causes these wrecks.
Causes of Tractor Trailer Crashes
Now that you know how many accidents are caused by 18 wheelers each year, you might be wondering exactly what causes those accidents. Since the drivers are highly trained, it might not make sense to think that truckers can make mistakes, but just like any other driver, they make mistakes too. However, it’s not always the truck driver’s fault.
Here are some of the different causes of wrecks involving semi trucks:
- Fatigued driver
- Distracted driving
- Brake failure
- Part defect
- Poorly trained driver
- Speeding
- Bad weather
- Overloaded trailer
- Blind spots
These are just some of the most common mistakes that can lead to a collision between a large truck and a regular sized vehicle. When you’re driving around a commercial truck, it’s important to always be vigilant and stay out of their blind spots so that they can make the best decisions on the road.
If you drive recklessly, this can lead to a truck driver needing to make quick decisions to avoid you on the road, and this can make them lose control. They need plenty of space to brake and maneuver their rigs, and when they don’t, they can easily cause a collision.
Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law Is Here for You
When you’ve been in a wreck with a semi and suffered from injuries and damages that weren’t your fault, you could use the help of a Biloxi truck accident lawyer from our firm. At Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law, we’re here to help you recover the compensation that you deserve for what you’ve been through.
Since you weren’t the one who caused the accident, you shouldn’t have to pay for the damages that you’ve incurred. The truck driver might be at fault, btu it could also be other parties who are responsible, which is why having an attorney on your side is so important. We’ll investigate what happened and make sure the right person is held accountable.
Reach out to our office today so that we can investigate your claim and determine who was at fault.
