Large trucks pose a threat on the roadways. Understanding the impact of large truck accidents in America may give our readers in Illinois a better view of the danger these vehicles present.
Large trucks and crashes
According to statistics kept by the National Safety Council, the number of large trucks that have been involved in fatal crashes has been on the rise in recent years. For example, from 2020 to 2021, the NSC statistics show that there was an 18% increase in fatal crashes involving large trucks. In 2021 alone, there were 5,700 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in America. Over a 10-year period, the increase has been nearly 50%.
Statistics about injuries from crashes that involved large trucks are even higher. For example, NSC statistics show that in 2021 there were 155,000 injuries in America that occurred in crashes that involved large trucks. That represented a 5% increase from the previous year.
These types of statistics don’t always show the scope of the dangers involved. In some of these accidents, the person killed was the truck driver, but in many truck accidents, the victim was someone else. Because commercial trucks are so much heavier than other vehicles, a collision between a large truck and a passenger car can often cause severe injury or death for the occupants of the car while the truck driver emerges virtually without a scratch.
Obviously, it is quite clear that in any accident that involves a large truck the risk of injury or even death is a real concern. If a large truck accident has impacted your life, be sure to get the right information about your potential legal options.