The westbound lanes of interstate 80 between Mustang and Patrick, Nevada, were closed for several hours on a Wednesday afternoon after a collision between a Ford pickup truck and a large box truck. More recently, a semi-truck hauling dog food ran into a bridge and crashed near McLean and Bottom Road outside Fallon just before midnight on a past Tuesday. Also, a 43-year-old Las Vegas native was driving his semi-truck in Idaho when a van driven by a 38-year-old Idaho native crashed into him, killing the van driver. These accidents are symptomatic of the rise in large truck accidents discussed before how drowsy driving has become an epidemic among truck drivers due to the demanding hours of long-haul work, leading to a multiple-fatality crash in Nevada this July. Reports from federal agencies show just how unsafe truck driving has become in recent years.
Truck accidents and fatalities are on the rise
Large truck and bus accidents have been on the rise over the past few years. Statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show just how dangerous trucking has become, both for the truckers themselves and for everyone else on the road. There were over 4,200 fatal truck accidents in the U.S. in 2016, a more than 25% increase since 2009 and a three percent increase from 2015. Moreover, the number of injury crashes involving large trucks doubled in the same timeframe, to over 110,000 crashes involving large trucks or buses in 2016. The truck accident rate had been decreasing from the 1990s into the early 2000s, but it reversed and has been steadily rising since 2009.
Nevada is not the most dangerous state for truckers, but like other states we have seen an increase in truck accidents in recent years. There were 28 fatal truck crashes in Nevada in 2016, one of the deadliest turnouts over the past decade. Statistics show that there are around 9 fatal truck crashes per million people in Nevada annually, below the national average of about 12 crashes per million but far from the lowest average in the country.
Greater presence on the road is not to blame for the increase in trucking accidents: While the number of registered trucks in the U.S. increased from around 10.9 million to around 11.5 million, the total number of truck miles traveled on U.S. roads has remained about the same since 2009, and has gone down since 2008. This means that truck driving is become more dangerous with each passing year, for truckers and for other motorists.
Talk to an Experienced Nevada Truck Accident Attorney after a Crash
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a semi-truck, seek experienced legal representation as soon as possible. Trucking companies have lawyers working for them to avoid liability in truck accident cases. With a knowledgeable Henderson truck accident attorney on your side, you’ll level the playing field and increase your chances of receiving maximum compensation for your injuries. In Nevada, call the David Boehrer Law Firm in Henderson for a no-cost consultation at 702-750-0750.