The Analysis Division of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released a compendium of statistics for fatalities, injuries, and property damage caused by large truck and bus crashes in 2015. The report reveals some startling facts.
A total of 4,311 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in 2015. All three major categories of crashes increased: fatalities, injuries, and property damage. This is an increase of over eight percent from 2014. The number of large trucks and buses that crashed, causing injuries, increased from 98,000 in 1995 to 102,000 in 2015. The number of large truck and bus crashes resulting in property damage increased from 334,000 to 395,000.
Of the 4,067 total fatalities in large truck accidents, only 667 were occupants of the trucks. The far majority were drivers or passengers of other vehicles. In over 90 percent of the fatal truck crashes, only one person died.
As might be expected, the majority of truck crashes involved more than one vehicle. Eighty percent of all fatal truck crashes, 87 percent of injury crashes, and 80 percent of property damage crashes involved more than one vehicle.
The far majority of crashes occurred on weekdays. In fact, nearly 83 percent of the fatal and non-fatal crashes happened on weekdays (from Monday through Friday). Thirty-five percent of large truck fatal crashes, 21 percent of injury crashes, and 19 percent of property damage occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Nearly 60 percent of the large truck fatal crashes occurred on rural roads, with 25 percent occurring on interstates.
Of all the large trucks involved in fatal crashes in 2015, 65 percent were single tractors (pulling one trailer), and three percent of them were doubles (pulling two trailers).
Of 3,996 large truck drivers who were involved in fatal crashes in 2015, 205 were 25 years of age or younger. About the same number, 211, were 66 or older. Only about two percent of the drivers were female.
About one-third of 3,996 large truck drivers who got into fatal crashes weren’t wearing their seatbelts during the accident. Of these, 27 percent were partially or completely thrown out of their trucks.
What would you guess caused most fatalities? A full 33 percent of large truck fatal accidents in 2015 were caused by driver-related issues, with speeding being the most common. The next most common driver-related cause was inattention or distraction. The third most common factor was impairment in some form, such as by illness, alcohol, or fatigue.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash with a commercial vehicle, you may be able to recover damages. At the Alexander Law Group, LLP, we know how to identify all the responsible parties and hold them accountable for your losses. Call us at 888-777-1776, or contact us online.
