New data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that the number of deaths caused by large truck accidents increased by 1.9% in 2011 over 2010. This amounts to 3,757 deaths across the country, compared to 3,686 deaths in 2010. The NHTSA notes that this is the second consecutive increase in statistical data, but is still a significant decrease from the 4,245 people who died in truck accidents in 2008.
Despite the jump in truck accident deaths, the total number of people killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2011 was 32,367 – a 1.9% decline since 2010, and officially the lowest death toll in the United States since 1949. The NHTSA says it is working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to gather more data and investigate the reason for the increase in fatal truck accidents.
The trucking industry remains one of the most competitive commercial businesses in America, which is part of the reason why truck accidents continue to happen. Many trucking companies place immense pressure on their drivers to make deliveries in very short windows of time, indirectly encouraging speeding, fatigued driving, and the use of drugs to stay awake.
If you have been seriously injured, or if your loved one has been killed in a tractor-trailer accident anywhere in the United States, please contact The Cochran Firm today to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced truck accident lawyer.
