Truck Accident Statistics

Statistics Regarding Truck Accident Injuries and Fatalities

Understanding truck accident statistics gives a person a broader view on the severity of these accidents and how they affect people not just in Los Angeles or the surrounding areas in Southern California but nationwide. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a leading authority on traffic safety nationwide; their mission: "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes". This organization researches and publishes traffic accident statistics nationwide. The following truck accident statistics are compiled from 2008 Traffic Safety Fact Sheets by the NHTSA:

380,000 large trucks (weighing over 10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2008 alone. 66,000 of these were involved in injury collisions, and 4,066 were involved in fatal accidents. The rest were involved in truck accidents resulting in property damage alone.

In 2008, one out of nine traffic-related fatalities resulted from accidents involving large trucks. This is a total of 4,229 people.

The majority of people injured in large truck accidents were occupants of other vehicles or non-occupants (bicyclists or pedestrians.) 74% of people injured were occupants of other vehicles, and 10% were non-occupants.

Truck accidents are most often fatal to parties other than the occupants of the truck. In 2008, 71% of truck accident fatalities were occupants of other vehicles and 3% were non-occupants.

The majority of truck driver fatalities (430 of 677) resulted from single-vehicle collisions.

30% of fatal multi-vehicle truck accidents involved head-on collisions.

64% of fatal truck accidents occurred in rural areas, 67% percent occurred during the day, and 80% on weekdays.

304 people lost their lives in fatal truck accidents in California alone, in 2008. This is the second-highest number of truck accident fatalities of any state in the U.S.

Get more information about your legal rights and options after an accident with a large truck. Contact a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer at Pacific Attorney Group today!