- June 14, 2013
Did you know that some tractor-trailers weigh up to 16 times the average weight of a car? The fatigue or carelessness of a truck driver can lead to devastating consequences. In accidents involving 18-wheelers, the fatality rate is double that of accidents involving only cars. There are important, specific things that need to be done in a case involving an 18-wheeler. It is critical that you contact an attorney as soon as possible to ensure that important pieces of evidence do not disappear.
Semi & Commercial Truck Accident Statistics:
• Of the 15.5 million trucks in the U.S., nearly 13 percent are semis, big rigs, 18 wheelers and tractor trailers
• About 98 percent of all semi accidents result in at least one fatality
• Fatal tractor trailer accidents cost Americans more than $20 billion each year, $13.1 billion of which is the cost associated with loss of quality of life
• For every 100 million miles driven on U.S. road ways, there are 2.3 deaths and 60.5 injuries caused by big rigs.
• Nearly 90 percent of commercial truck accidents are caused or worsened by some sort of human error—either on behalf of a truck driver, other drivers, other vehicle passengers, cyclists or pedestrians
• Driver fatigue is responsible for roughly 30 percent of all commercial truck accidents
Sources:
The U.S. Department of Transportation
The National Center for Statistics and Analysis
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
