You can hardly look at the news without seeing something about another major truck accident. Despite all of the attempts to increase safety regulations over the years, the number of fatal truck accidents keeps increasing even though road accidents in general are down.
According to reports by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more fatalities related to truck accidents in 2018 than any year since 1988. The number of fatalities involving crashes had risen for the fourth year in a row — and pedestrian deaths involving trucks had increased a tragic 13% over the previous year alone.
What’s behind this trend? Several different factors are likely in play:
- The nature of commerce is changing. Americans are shopping online more than ever. That’s putting more delivery trucks on the roads and on city or suburban streets.
- The industry demands are increasing. The trucking industry can barely keep up with their orders, which is forcing some truckers to work past their endurance (illegally or not).
- There are more modern distractions. It’s probably no coincidence that trucking accidents have increased since smartphones became widely available. Distracted driving is a significant problem for all drivers — and truckers are no exception.
- There’s an aging workforce. Trucking wasn’t always seen as a great occupation, so a lot of truckers are older. They may have health issues that make them more accident-prone than younger drivers.
A truck accident has the potential to be far more physically and financially devastating than other motor vehicle accidents. If you are injured or a loved one is killed, find out more about the legal steps you should take next.
