The number of injuries and deaths suffered in large truck accidents has continued to decrease each year in the United States since 2007, according to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The costs of these accidents have also continued to decrease in recent years. This trend follows the overall decrease in all motor vehicle accidents, but decreases in truck and bus accident injuries and deaths have occurred more quickly than decreases in passenger vehicle accident injuries and deaths.
For instance, according to the FMCSA, in 2007, 4,822 people died in large truck accidents on U.S. roads, and approximately 101,000 were injured. By 2009, however, these numbers had dropped to 3,380 deaths and 74,000 injuries. The number of injuries and deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled also went down in these years, with 2009 having 0.123 accidents per 100 million, even though the total number of vehicle miles traveled did not increase dramatically.
Recent years have also seen a decrease in the costs associated with large truck and bus crashes. Approximately $65 billion was spent on the effects of commercial vehicle crashes in 2007, but by 2009, this number had decreased to $48 billion.
Large truck accidents are not common, but when they do occur, serious injuries can result. If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck crash, the experienced Missouri big rig accident attorneys at Page Law can help. For a free consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), hazardous materials spilling from a tractor-trailer or other commercial vehicle during a crash is not a common occurrence. However, when a spill does occur, it can cause serious injuries not only to those involved in the crash, but to rescue workers, other motorists, and people in the surrounding community.
The OTA’s study found that poorly-trained drivers and rescue workers were the primary cause of most hazardous material spills. Only about one in every four police and fire personnel, the first teams to respond to a serious truck accident, have the training needed to accurately identify and contain hazardous materials spills. While this number has increased in recent years, most highway patrol officers still lack the training they need to minimize serious injuries in the case of a spill.
Lack of rescue worker coordination and shipping companies that fail to communicate with one another or with regulators also play a role in many hazardous materials spills, according to the OTA. In order to drive as safely as possible and help reduce the risk of serious harm to the community, both truck drivers and their employers need to understand exactly what is being shipped and how it should be handled for maximum safety.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, the experienced Missouri truck crash attorneys at Page Law can help. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.
New data analysis and crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that the rear guards on tractor-trailers can fail in low-speed crashes. Those failures can have very deadly consequences.
When a smaller vehicle crashes into the back of a tractor-trailer, rear guards are the primary way to reduce deaths and injuries. Without the guards, the upper part of the passenger vehicle usually crushes, making death for the vehicle’s occupants more likely. Sometimes those guards are present, but they fail, which can cause great injury to passenger vehicle occupants, even if the crash occurs at a low speed.
The IIHS has been studying the problem since the 1970s. The latest study analyzed 1,000 crashes that involved passenger cars rear-ending semi-trucks between 2001 and 2003. Among those truck accidents, 28 people in the passenger vehicle died, and in 23 of those, the entire front end of the vehicle slid underneath the truck. The study, as well as crash tests, showed errors with many of the guards, which led to guard failure and catastrophic damage. The IIHS is now recommending new safety measures in manufacturing the rear guards. It is recommending that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) improve standards for those guards.
Trucking companies, as well as tractor-trailer manufacturers, have the duty to make sure the trucks they produce operate as safely as possible while on the road. If you have been injured in a tractor-trailer accident in Missouri that was due to the negligence of another party, you may be able to recover for your medical expenses, damage to your vehicle, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. To learn more about your legal options, call the Missouri tractor-trailer accident attorneys at Page Law at 314-322-8515 to learn more.
Falling asleep at the wheel is a common cause of major Missouri truck accidents. Smartmotorist.com reports that in 2007, fatigued drivers caused 18 percent of fatal accidents. In an attempt to prevent driver fatigue, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) has created regulations for commercial drivers. Commercial motor vehicle drivers may only drive for 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours of being off duty. These safety regulations ensure that truck drivers have had sufficient rest and relaxation before they get back on the road. Fatigued truck drivers in Missouri are a significant threat on the roadways and cause numerous serious injury and fatal collisions on our nation’s roadways each year.
The government has also been taking steps to mandate companies to educate their drivers about these safety regulations. Recently the government requested Whole Foods to conduct similar education programs for their truck drivers. In October 2005, a Whole Foods tractor-trailer rolled over on the Highway 94 in Wisconsin causing a collision with a motor coach that killed five and injured 35 others. Federal officials determined that the Whole Foods truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. The investigation also determined that the driver had not taken sufficient rest during the time period leading to the accident.
As truck accident lawyers in Missouri, we have come across many situations where truck drivers deliberately falsify logs so they can be on the road for more time. At Page Law, our attorneys are trained to detect discrepancies in the logs and determine whether negligence or wrongdoing on the part of the truck driver or the trucking company was involved in causing the crash. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck collision due to driver negligence or fatigue, you need an experienced and knowledgeable Missouri negligent truck driver accident lawyer to ensure your rights are protected. Please call Page Law at (314) 322-8515 to schedule your free consultation and case evaluation.
Source:http://www.automotive-fleet.com/Channel/Safety-Accident-Management/News/Story/2009/03/Government-Advises-Whole-Foods-to-Implement-Driver-Fatigue-Education-Program.aspx?interstitial=1
