Trucking Accidents

Year in year out, Florida remains a consistent contributor to truck accident fatalities in the United States. Compared to commercial truck accidents in other states like Texas and California, Florida’s semi-truck accident rate is higher than the national average. 

Every 16 minutes in the United States, a person dies in a collision with a large truck. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 2017 report, nearly 32,000 accidents involved truck drivers. Out of that number, there were 27 fatalities, 57 incapacitating injuries, and 1,053 people who suffered other injuries.  The most affected people in trucking accidents are passenger vehicle occupants. This is because trucks are 20-30 times more giant in size than smaller cars. They also have undercarriage clearance, meaning smaller vehicles can get trapped underneath.

Nearly one in ten vehicle fatalities are the result of a collision with a commercial truck. Tractor trailers can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and the average motorist’s vehicle will weigh less than 10,000 pounds. 

Statistics regarding truck accidents in 2014 across the nation include:

3,660 people were killed in a collision with a large truck; while only 16 percent of those fatalities were occupants of the truck, 68 percent were passenger car vehicles, and 15 percent were motorcyclists, bicyclists or pedestrians.

The number of those killed in an 18-wheeler crash was 16 percent higher in 2014 than in 2009.

Of those who died in a large truck collision in 2014, 59 percent were on a major road other than a freeway or interstate, 31 percent were on a freeway or interstate, and 9 percent were on minor roads.

The hours between 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. are the deadliest, as far as large truck collisions go, as 47 percent of large truck crash deaths occur during this time period.

Sixteen percent of large truck collisions occur on a Saturday or Sunday.