The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration collects trucking information of all kinds in an effort to make travel safer for drivers of large commercial vehicles and nearby motorists.
The FMCSA closely monitors truck crashes and keeps records that show where and when most injury crashes occur.
A little background
There seem to be more trucks on American roadways every year, and, along with the increase, more accidents. According to the FMCSA, large truck injury crashes increased by 62% from 2009 to 2015. In 2017, there were 4,657 fatalities involving large commercial trucks. In fact, in the three years between 2015 and 2018, the number of fatal crashes increased by 330%.
Location and time
While it seems logical to assume that most truck crashes occur on heavily traveled routes like freeways, FMCSA records show that about 60% of fatal accidents occur on rural roads. Why? People drive faster on rural roads, sometimes without wearing seatbelts. Also, in rural areas, deer and other wild animals can dart across the road in front of an oncoming vehicle. Of the fatal truck crashes in remote areas in 2017, 35% happened at night with the vast majority occurring between Mondays and Fridays.
Help on the way
Statistics the FMCSA compiles and releases to the public concerning truck crashes are good for motorists to keep in mind. Exercising caution and vigilance when traveling rural roads may help save a life. The victim of a truck-car crash may face devastating injuries, and medical help takes longer to arrive in remote areas. The road to recovery can be long and expensive but the patient has a right to expect full and fair compensation. Funds should be sufficient to cover current and future medical expenses, pain and suffering and more.
