While significantly more efficient means exist to put goods and services in the hands of consumers, trucking remains number one, accounting for 70 percent of all products.
With that prominence on the road comes the problem of severe and fatal accidents. Not all truck drivers have high standards of safe transport. A growing number are outright careless, resulting in catastrophes on roads throughout the U.S.
Recent estimates reveal that by the start of the next decade, tractor-trailer accidents will become the fifth largest cause of death throughout the nation.
Factors that play a role in serious and fatal truck crashes
When a truck carrying significant weight and power collides with a much smaller car, those in the smaller vehicle will suffer life-threatening injuries that mandate immediate medical care. From whiplash to spinal cord damage, the impact is life-changing for accident victims.
Commercial trucks are not the easiest to master. Safe operation requires in-depth training and ongoing experience. In addition to skills, truck drivers should be experienced and well-rested before getting behind the wheel. Driver fatigue and inexperience top the list of collisions.
Many truck drivers drive with dangerous cargo. Many of them carry hazardous cargo that is combustible, explosive, radioactive, and flammable. Those collisions make up four percent of crashes where lives are lost.
Large trucks share the road with smaller vehicles. Additional stats reveal that 97 percent of all fatalities in accidents involve a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle, such as a car, van, or SUV, with those occupants accounting for 98 percent of all deaths.
With commercial trucks dominating the road, danger is around every curve and corner.
