Did you know that fatal truck accidents are the number one cause of job-related death for truckers? Here are more important facts about fatal truck accidents in the U.S.
About 330,000 truck accidents involving larger trucks occur in the U.S. each year. While transportation safety regulators are continuing to work on reducing the incidence of these collisions and saving lives, a recently issued report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has revealed some important new findings regarding fatal truck accidents in the U.S.
Uncovering some of this important data and noting some other important info, in this blog series, we will point out some of the more important facts about fatal truck accidents, as reported by the CDC and other respected organizations.
If you have lost a loved in a fatal truck or motor vehicle accident and are ready to learn more about your best options for financial recovery, contact the experienced Montgomery and Birmingham truck accident attorneys at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC today.
New Findings about Fatal Truck Accidents in the U.S.
1 – Fatal truck accidents are the leading cause of job-related deaths for truck drivers.
As the CDC has reported, about 65 percent of the truck drivers who died as a result of on-the-job injuries in 2012 (the most recent year for which complete statistics are currently available) were killed due to motor vehicle accidents. This is an important finding, as it highlights that more may need to be done to protect truckers who are on-duty, as well as others on the roads.
Interestingly, also related to this finding is the fact that the incidence of fatal truck accidents in the U.S. has increased by about 4 percent since 2009 when these collisions were at a historical low. Just why fatal truck accidents have been increasing in the U.S. is not readily apparent, and researchers are still investigating what specific factors may have contributed to such a significant increase over recent years.
2 – Not wearing seatbelts is often a factor in fatal truck accidents.
We all know that wearing seatbelts is the law, but not all of us do it. This may not be news, but what is news is the fact that commercial truck drivers are often not buckling up – and when they don’t, this choice can cost them their lives.
In fact, as the CDC has found:
- More than 1 in every 3 truckers killed in fatal truck accidents in the U.S. was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the wreck.
- As many as 280 lives could be saved each year if truckers (and/or their passengers) buckle up prior to fatal truck accidents.
Commenting on this finding, CDC Principal Deputy Director Ileana Arias, PhD, explained that:
We know that using a seat belt is the single most effective intervention to prevent injury or death in a motor vehicle crash. However, in 2012 more than 1 in 3 truck drivers who died in crashes were not buckled up, a simple step which could have prevented up to 40 percent of these deaths… employers and government agencies at all levels can help improve truck driver safety and increase seat belt use among truck drivers by having strong company safety programs and enforcing state and federal laws.
For more important info about fatal truck accidents, don’t miss the additional parts of this blog series. They’ll be published very soon.
Montgomery and Birmingham Truck Accident Attorneys at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC
Have you been hurt in a truck accident? Or have you lost a loved one in a fatal truck accident? If so, you can count on the Montgomery and Birmingham truck accident lawyers at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC to be aggressive advocates for your rights.
To find out more about how we can help you, attend an initial consultation with us today. You can set up this meeting today by calling 334-834-2000 or emailing us using the contact form at the top of this page.