Reducing the number of truck accidents has been a priority for safety regulators for several years.
The most recent statistics have indicated those efforts have shown promise. However, when looking at them in greater depth, the improvement might not be as stark as they indicate. Regardless, truck safety remains a worry and people should be prepared for the chance of a collision while knowing what options are available after one has happened.
FMCSA stats are released
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released its most recent preliminary data for 2023. In it, there was a reduction in the number of truck accidents in which people were injured and lost their lives.
The statistics encompass the first three months of 2023. The number of deaths in which large trucks were involved lowered by more than 14% when compared to the same time-frame for 2022. The number of large truck accidents reduced by over 5% and injuries reduced by 1.4%. This is a major turnaround from 2021 and 2022 when there was a spike in fatalities of nearly 24%, injuries by 1.7% and truck accidents by just shy of 5%.
On the surface, this is obviously a positive. Still, when taking a deeper dive into the numbers, there are other factors contributing to the improvement that cannot be counted on to be sustainable. More commercial trucks took to the road in 2022, but various issues including the economy led to fewer trucks being on the road.
The FMCSA is considering new strategies such as requiring trucks have speed limiters and automatic braking. There may also be a required side underride guards to try and avoid vehicles going underneath the large trucks – a common cause for catastrophic injuries and death.
Truck accidents can be particularly serious
Despite attempts to make the roads safer, the problem of people being hurt and losing their lives in a truck accident remains. It is important to understand how and why it happened when moving forward.
Whether it was due to a trucker who was speeding, had been on the road too long in one sitting, was distracted or was under the influence, people have rights. To cover for all that was lost in a truck crash, it is essential to know how to move forward to hold drivers and their companies accountable.