The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) keeps track of how many large trucks have crashes every year in this country. The federal agency’s data shows that there are approximately 475,000 of them tractor-trailer accidents annually. At least 140,000 of those crashes resulted in someone suffering injuries. Another 5,000 of them leave someone dead. There are trends as to when and why these crashes occur.
DOL statistics show that truckers often aren’t to blame for causing truck-involved crashes, but passenger car operators are instead. Some of the more common contributing factors that result in these crashes include human errors, speeding, poor judgment and distracted driving.
That same federal government data also shows that at least 29% of all truck-involved crashes are rear-end ones. Safety analysts take this to mean that passenger car operators generally follow truckers far too closely than they should.
An additional 29% of crashes are also head-on ones. Safety analysts argue that these result from motorists giving themselves too short of a window to pass a tractor-trailer successfully. The DOL also contends that this crash rate could have something to do with a motorists’ distractions or fatigue, causing them to cross the roadway’s centerline into oncoming traffic.
DOL data also shows that Thursdays are the one day in which truck accidents are most apt to happen. Fridays come in second place. It would seem that one of the reasons why truck-involved crash rates are highest on these two days is because they fall at the end of the standard trucker delivery schedule when truckers are most tired. DOL statistics show that most truck-involved fatal accidents occur between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Trucks and cars don’t mix well with one another. There’s seldom a good outcome when a crash between the two occurs. One of the best things you can do if you suffered catastrophic injuries or lost a loved one in a Baton Rouge collision with a tractor-trailer is consult with an attorney. Your lawyer would want to assess negligence in your case before advising you how Louisiana law may allow you to recover compensation for your losses.
