Truck Accident Statistics

Truck accidents are all too common in Texas and throughout the country, as semi-truck statistics readily demonstrate. If you were injured in a truck accident in El Paso or elsewhere in Texas that was not your fault, you could be entitled to financial compensation.

The Numbers Tell a Story

You may be surprised to learn how many semi truck accidents per year happen on U.S. and Texas roadways. Here is what the numbers tell us:

• 4,862 large trucks were involved in deadly crashes nationwide during a recent year, a 51% jump since 2009, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).
• 112,000 trucks were involved in accidents during a recent year that resulted in an injury, a 5% surge from 2017, according to the NSC.

National Semi Truck Statistics

Nearly 5,000 people die in large-truck accidents each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). During a recent year:

• 71% of fatalities in large-truck crashes were occupants of other vehicles like cars or SUVs
• 18% were truck drivers or truck occupants
• The remaining 11% were non-occupants, such as cyclists and pedestrians

Texas Semi Truck Statistics

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), fatal crashes in Texas in a recent year involved:

• 140 trucks
• 452 truck-tractors/semi-trailers
• 3 fire trucks
• 19 buses
• 2 school buses

TxDOT reports that suspected serious injury crashes in Texas the same year involved:

• 535 trucks
• 844 truck-tractors/semi-trailers
• 11 fire trucks
• 57 buses
• 31 school buses

Common Reasons for a Truck Wreck

Truck accidents are typically the result of negligence on the part of the truck driver, trucking company, cargo loaders, or another party. It’s not uncommon for multiple parties to be held liable in a truck accident. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents in Texas include:

• Driver fatigue
• Drunk or drugged driving
• Reckless driving
• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Improper cargo loading
• Poor road conditions
• Defective truck parts
• Unfamiliarity with route and roads

Why Truck Accidents Are So Dangerous

While truck accidents are far less common than car accidents (roughly 500,000 vs. 6 million annually), truck accidents are usually much more devastating. This is due to several factors, including:

• Trucks are heavier. They can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Cars weigh an average of 4,000 pounds.
• It takes longer to stop a truck. Traveling at 55 mph, an average truck takes 512 feet to come to a complete stop. This may not be soon enough to avoid a deadly collision.
• Collisions may occur at higher speeds. About one-third of fatal truck crashes occurred on interstates and freeways.
• Head-on collisions are more likely with trucks, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Consult a Texas Truck Accident Attorney

Call the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Sources:

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/large-trucks/

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812891#:~:text=In%202018%20there%20were%204%2C951%20people%20killed%20and%20an%20estimated,reported%20traffic%20crashes%20during%202018.

https://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2019/28.pdf

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/safety/data-and-statistics/461861/ltcbf-2017-final-5-6-2019.pdf

https://www.thetruckersreport.com/facts-about-trucks/

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/long-stopping-distances

Michael J. Gopin

Michael J. Gopin has practiced law in El Paso since 1987. Even after more than 30 years, he still remembers his first jury case. It was two weeks after receiving his license, when he represented a person whose life had been forever changed after being blinded in a work-related incident...