Large Truck Crashes Increase as Overall Rate Declines

The number of traffic fatalities in Mississippi and throughout the nation dropped by 1.9 percent between 2016 and 2017, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, the number of traffic fatalities involving large trucks increased by 9 percent. A large truck is defined as a vehicle that weighs more than 10,000 pounds. According to a member of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), many of these accidents involved trucks weighing between 10,000 and 14,000 pounds.

Furthermore, it is possible that trucks that were involved in the fatal accidents were not necessarily regulated by the FMCSA. There was a significant increase in fatalities in accidents involving large trucks and other vehicles. In 2017, this number increased by 280, which was an 8.8 percent increase over 2016. Furthermore, 118 large truck occupants died in crashes involving large trucks in 2017. That was a 16 percent increase and accounted for all accident regardless of how many vehicles were involved.

In 2017, fatalities caused by drivers going too fast decreased by 5.6 percent compared to 2016. Overall, there were 37,133 people killed on American roads in 2017, and of those deaths, 8.5 percent were caused by distracted drivers. That translates to 3,166 people being killed in wrecks involving someone who was not focused on the road.

Those who sustain serious injuries in a truck accident may receive a financial award from a jury or through a negotiated settlement. This may be true if the driver who caused the crash was negligent. For instance, a driver may be negligent if he or she was speeding, impaired or distracted when the crash occurred. If an individual wasn’t qualified to drive a large truck, that could also be considered truck driver negligence.