How Many Semi Truck Accidents Happen Per Year?

We can’t survive without the trucking industry. Whether a product is delivered by cargo ship or made in a warehouse, it will be picked up by a truck that will then drive it to another warehouse or store for distribution. It is safe to assume that everything in your home spent time on a truck. Online estimates suggest that there are 13 million trucks registered in the U.S. That is just a fraction of 283 million registered vehicles of all types. It also means that every trip on a highway and most on local roads will have you encountering some kind of truck.

Most of those trucks complete their daily pick-ups and deliveries without any trouble. Part of the reason for that is the regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). They provide the rules for truck drivers and trucking companies to comply with regarding everything from service hours to cargo securement. Despite all of those safety rules, there are still accidents.

Semi-Truck Accident Statistics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent organization dedicated to “reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from motor vehicle crashes through research and evaluation and through education of consumers, policymakers and safety professionals.”

As part of their mission, they collect statistics about crashes involving trucks. According to their data, a total of 4,764 people died in large truck crashes in 2022. Those fatalities breakdown into the following categories:

• 17% were truck occupants
• 66% of occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles
• 16% were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists

They also found that 73% of deaths caused by truck crashes in 2022 involved tractor-trailers. Additionally, 47% of large truck crash deaths occurred from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

State Statistics

The National Safety Council is another organization dedicated to keeping folks safe by educating them about preventable accidents. They compiled the following list of the states with the highest percentage of trucks involved in fatal crashes in 2022:

• North Dakota – 23%
• Wyoming – 21%
• Iowa – 16%
• New Mexico – 15%
• Nebraska – 15%
• Montana – 15%

Here are the states with the lower percentage of fatal truck crashes:

• Hawaii – 4%
• Maine – 4%
• California – 7%
• Connecticut – 7%
• Florida – 7%
• Maryland – 7%
• Michigan – 7%
• Nevada – 7%
• Rhode Island – 7%

As reported by Newsweek, when you add up all the numbers, there were 170,716 reported truck accidents. Those collisions left 86,842 motorists injured, with 5,078 fatalities.

Driver-Related Reasons for Truck Accidents

When accidents occur, the person behind the wheel of the vehicle is primarily responsible for the incident. Despite their additional training and added responsibility, truck drivers are susceptible to engaging in negligent driving, leading to accidents. The following are the reasons most often cited for driver-related truck accidents:

Fatigue

A truck driver’s “work environment” is the many miles of highways and roads they travel on. They can’t control the traffic conditions. As a result, traffic congestion can upend their schedules. That puts a lot of pressure on the driver to work long hours. Even with the FMCSA service hour regulations, a truck driver can still be overworked and exhausted. It would only take a moment of dozing off behind the wheel to end in a catastrophe.

Driving While Intoxicated

A car driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or higher is considered legally intoxicated and subject to immediate arrest and license suspension. Because of the nature of their work, a truck driver is held to a higher standard. They are considered legally intoxicated with a BAC of .04% or higher.  According to IIHS, there are 727 fatalities attributable to an intoxicated truck driver.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving can take many forms. When a truck driver speeds, ignores traffic signals, tailgates, or merges lanes without signaling, they are driving recklessly, and that can result in major accidents.

Distracted Driving

Every driver needs to be focused on the road ahead and their driving environment. That is especially true for truck drivers. Glancing at texts on the cell, adjusting controls, logging into their computer, eating, or drinking are the kinds of activities that can take a truck driver’s attention off the road and their hands off the wheel, leading to dangerous situations.

Reasons for Truck Accidents Not Attributable to the Driver

Investigating a truck accident can be complicated. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to the accident that might be out of control for the truck driver. Consider the following:

Road Conditions

Potholes are a problem for any vehicle. A truck hitting a pothole can cause a major disturbance in weight distribution, leading to an accident. In those situations, a local government could be held responsible for not properly maintaining the roads.

Bad Weather

A turn in the weather creates added pressure on the truck driver. When the roads become slick with rain, snow, ice, or sleet, it can lead to chain reaction collisions that even the most experienced truck drivers might be unable to avoid.

Improper Cargo Loading

Most commercial truck drivers are not directly responsible for loading their cargo. That task is completed by separate loading teams. If those teams do not properly secure the cargo, it can shift on a steep hill or sharp turn, leading to a jackknife or rollover accident.

Mismanagement

A trucking company is responsible for hiring qualified drivers. Those drivers need to be screened to ensure they meet health and training requirements. This means those drivers should not have a history of traffic violations or previous accidents. A trucking company must also have a realistic schedule to avoid adding pressure on the driver. When the company fails to meet those obligations, it could be held liable in an accident.

If you’ve been involved in an accident with a truck, you’re not just another statistic to the Trucking Injury Law Group. We can provide the guidance you need to decide the best approach for seeking your claim. You need to be fully informed about how to take on the insurance carrier and trucking company.