Florida Truck Accident Statistics

NHTSA released traffic safety facts for 2017. The key findings:

In 2017 there were 4,761 people killed in crashes involving large trucks, a 9-percent increase from 2016.

Seventy-two percent of people killed in large-truck crashes in 2017 were occupants of other vehicles.

Seventy-eight percent of the fatal crashes involving large trucks in 2017 occurred on weekdays (6 a.m. Monday to 5:59 p.m. Friday).

Three percent of the large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2017 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .08 g/dL or higher, much lower than drivers of other vehicle types (27% for motorcycles, 21% for passenger cars, and 20% for light trucks).

In 2017 drivers of large trucks in fatal crashes were less likely to have previous license suspensions or revocations than were passenger car drivers.

Large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2017 had a higher percentage (20.7%) of previously recorded crashes compared to drivers of other vehicle types (motorcycles, 20.3%; passenger cars, 19.1%; and light trucks, 17.0%).

Common Causes of Truck Accidents:

• Driver fatigue
• Substance abuse
• Speeding and reckless driving
• Inexperienced drivers
• Poorly maintained brakes
• Overloaded trucks
• Failure to yield right of way
• Driver distraction

Crash Characteristics

• More than 1 out of 4 fatal large-truck crashes (27%) occurred on interstates.
• Fifty-eight percent of fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred in rural areas.
• Only 5 percent of fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred in work zones.
• Seventy-eight percent of the fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on weekdays.
• Of those weekday large-truck fatal crashes, 72 percent occurred during the daytime hours of 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m
• On average in the country, large trucks made up 8.8 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes.
• There were 296 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in Florida.

If you have been injured in a truck accident, call our truck accident attorneys at (904) 292-1111 for a free consultation.