Truck accidents can be scary. Unfortunately, these kinds of accidents are not uncommon in the United States. According to various accident statistics gathered around the world, many of these accidents could easily be avoided if the drivers were more careful while on the road. Here are five shocking accidents statistics which show that drivers need to be more careful while on the road.
- Truck accidents cause thousands of death
While most accidents are simply fender-bender or simple near-end collisions, most truck accidents are a much bigger deal. In a span of six years (between from 2007 to 2012), close to two hundred thousand individuals died from road accidents. To provide a better perspective of the magnitude of auto accidents, this figure exceeds the total number of people living in Salt Lake City. This shows the extent to which negligence and reckless driving can be catastrophic. To reduce the number of people dying from road accidents, it is important for drivers to avoid risky driving and pay attention to the laws of traffic.
- Drunk driving is the leading cause of truck accidents
One of the leading causes of the truck accident is drunk driving. According to research, driving while intoxicated has been a major cause of accidents for a lot of truck owners. However, the good news is that all these incidents can be avoided if the driver is smart and sober. In addition to preventing accidents, being sober while driving will help you to avoid a lawsuit. On the other hand, if you feel you are a victim of careless driving, you can always contact semi truck accident lawyers with extensive experience in personal injury cases.
- Weekends are the riskiest days
Research has shown that weekends (from Friday to Sunday) are the riskiest days for anyone to be on the road. That is the case because most people tend to travel on the weekends to have fun. As such, too many people on the road means a higher chance for accidents to occur. For that reason, truck drivers need to be extremely cautious during the weekends.
- The main victims of auto accidents are vehicle occupants
Approximately seventy percent of road accident victims are the occupants of the vehicles involved – passengers and drivers. The remaining thirty percent are people outside the vehicles such as motorists and pedestrians. As the drivers of a vehicle, you are at high risk of getting injured but you have the power to avoid these incidents from taking place. You have a huge responsibility of ensuring that you are safe and by so doing, everyone else around you will be safe as well.
- Speeding
Speeding has been listed as the second highest cause of the auto accident and deaths after alcohol. The National Highway Safety Administration noted that 9,262 individuals were fatally injured as a result of auto speeding in 2014. What’s shocking is the fact that these were findings from a 2014 research alone, and the research did not cover all highways across the US. Truck drivers should strive to ensure that they follow traffic rules and stick to the signs posted at strategic road positions.
Conclusion
Being involved in a truck accident can cause serious personal injury and result in hefty financial pains as well. The best way to go about such a situation is to hire the right professionals to work for you. A semi-truck accident attorney can help you deal with all the legal issues of your auto accident case.