FACTS

1. Injuries in a truck accident may include broken bones, back and neck injuries, head trauma, internal bleeding, spinal cord damage, and whiplash injury.
2. According to truck fatalities statistics by gender and vehicle types, male drivers mostly lose their lives in truck accidents. Trucks are the most dangerous and destructive vehicles on the roads.
3. Truck accident statistics show that among the top reasons for truck accidents are driver’s fatigue and inexperience. Because these vehicles are not simple to operate, truck drivers need to be experienced and well-rested before they hit the road to ensure safe vehicle operation and maximum control.
4. Carrying hazardous cargo like flammable liquids, liquids that ignite and burn explode or catch fire.
5. Contrary to common belief, drugs, and alcohol abuse are not among the top causes of these crashes.
6. The top truck accident cause — mechanical defects — most often include tire and brake issues.
7. The weight of the vehicle also constitutes a common cause of big truck crashes.

STATS

• 74% of all fatal passenger vehicle cases include a large truck.
• Tire defects account for around 30% (the most common cause) of all truck-related accidents.
• Most of these accidents occur during the day — between noon and 3 PM, up to 19%.
• 68% of all truck fatalities are passenger vehicle occupants.
• Approximately 130,000 people suffer from injuries in truck accidents.
• Hazardous cargo is present in approximately 4% of the large trucks involved in fatal collisions.
• Commercial truck accident statistics show 97% of all deaths in crashes involving one or more large trucks were from the passenger vehicle — car, van, or SUV.
• Approximately 74% of fatal truck accidents involved tractor-trailers, while 27% involved single-unit trucks.
• A fully loaded tractor-trailer takes roughly 20-40% more distance to stop after applying brakes. This is about the length of not one but two football fields, thus making truck disasters inevitable.