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Semi Truck Accident and Other Vehicle Fatality Statistics

Semi truck accident lawyers take continuing their education of semi truck accident related laws and statistics seriously. The more information a semi truck accident attorney has available at their discretion when they represent a semi truck accident victim, the better prepared they are to maximize the compensation received by their client. The following statistical information is taken directly from The Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Transportation Fatality Rates

There were about 45,500 fatalities related to transportation in 2002—16 fatalities per 100,000 U.S. residents1 [1, 2, 4]. This is the same rate as in 1992, when there were about 42,000 deaths. Approximately 94 percent of all transportation fatalities in 2002 were highway-related (figure 9-1). Most of these people who died were occupants of passenger cars or light trucks (including pickups, sport utility vehicles, and minivans). Air, rail, transit, water, and pipeline transportation result in comparatively few deaths per capita (see box 9-A). For instance, railroads contributed about 0.33 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2002.2

Overall, highway safety remained about the same between 1992 and 2002 when compared to the size of the population. There were around 15 fatalities per 100,000 residents each year over the entire period. Highway fatalities declined 15 percent for occupants of passenger cars, but increased 34 percent for occupants of light trucks between 1992 and 2002 (figure 9-2). (This is a period during which the number of registered light trucks increased from 57 million to 85 million [3].) Motorcyclist fatalities per 100,000 residents have been rising since 1997.

Similar trends in highway fatality rates are apparent when the rate is based on vehicle-miles traveled (vmt). Passenger car occupant fatalities per 100 million vmt declined 21 percent between 1992 and 2002, while light-truck occupant fatalities per 100 million vmt rose 10 percent (figure 9-3). Motorcyclist fatalities grew 36 percent during the period. However, after falling from 25 fatalities per 100 million vmt in 1992 to 21 fatalities per 100 million vmt in 1997, motorcyclist fatalities grew 62 percent by 2002.3

Years of Potential Life Lost from Transportation Accidents

For people under 65 years of age, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has ranked transportation accidents as the third leading cause of death in the United States (after cancer and heart disease) each year from 1991 to 2000. During those years, an average of nearly 36,000 people under 65 died each year from transportation accidents.5

While transportation accidents amounted to 6 percent of the deaths of those under age 65 between 1991 and 2000, these fatalities represented 10 percent of the total years of potential life lost (YPLL) during this period (figure 9-4). YPLL, which is computed by adding up the remaining life expectancies of all victims (up to 65 years of age) at their deaths, is a measurement that accounts for the age distribution among different causes of injury mortality and other common causes of death (box 9-B). The difference between the percentage of deaths and YPLL indicates that people who die from transportation accidents tend to be younger on average than victims of other causes of death.

Motor vehicle crashes are the most frequent cause of transportation-related fatalities. YPLLs associated with deaths related to motor vehicle accidents can be compared with YPLLs for deaths from all other modes of transportation (figure 9-5). This shows that, over the 9 years, motor vehicle deaths also contributed to the bulk of YPLLs due to transportation accidents.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Population Estimates for the United States, available at http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/national/tables/NA-EST2003-01.php, as of January 2004.

2. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety, Boating Statistics, available at http://www.uscgboating.org, as of January 2004.

3. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995 and Highway Statistics 2002 (Washington DC: 1997 and 2003), tables VM-201A and VM-1, also available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs02/index.htm, as of January 2004.

4. U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, Safety and Security Newsletter, Spring 2003, available at http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/Data/NTDNewsletters/Default.asp, as of January 2004.

5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Reports: Deaths, 1991–2000 issues, available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products.htm, as of March 2003.

1 This total fatality rate has not been adjusted to account for double counting across modes, because detailed data needed to do so were not available at the time this report was prepared. See table 9-1 for further information on double-counting impacts

1 Because of methodological differences, fatality data from the CDC differ from those collected by the individual modal administrations.

Semi Truck Accident Fatality Statistics

There are over 500,000 truck accidents each year. Approximately 5000 of these end in fatalities each year.

Twelve percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States are caused because of truck accidents. In semi truck fatal accidents the passengers or driver in the other vehicle is killed as opposed to people in the truck 98% of the time.

Some Semi Truck Accident Statistics For Individual States:

• In 2003, Texas witnessed 5040 fatal traffic accidents, of which 438 were fatal semi truck accidents.
• In Pennsylvania, there were 2233 fatal traffic accidents in 2003, of which 213 were fatal semi truck accidents.
• Florida had 4432 fatal traffic accidents in 2003, with 343 of them involving semi trucks.
• The highest number of fatal traffic accidents happened in California, with the number being a staggering 5725 fatal auto accidents in 200, but only 332 of these were related to semi truck accidents.

National Statistics

In 2003, there were 58,512 total vehicle accidents involved in fatal crashes in the U.S. (NCSA).

4,669 were semi trucks involved in fatal truck accidents.

Large trucks are more likely to be involved in a fatal multi-vehicle crash than are passenger vehicles.

Most fatal truck accidents occurred in rural areas (68 percent) during the daytime (66 percent) and on weekdays (78 percent).

Only 1 percent of fatal truck accidents were DUI-related on the part of the truck driver compared to other types of fatal crashes. Higher DUI occurrences are 22 percent for drivers of passenger vehicles and light trucks and 29 percent for motorcyclists.

Here’s a breakdown of the top 5 states as to fatal truck accidents in 2003:

Compared to a breakdown of the top 5 states as to fatal truck accidents in 2002:

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death as a result of a semi truck accident, call the semi truck accident lawyers of VanDerGinst Law. P.C. at (866) 843-7367 or submit a free online case evaluation. The initial consultation is free of charge.  If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we are paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date known as a statute of limitations.  Please call our semi truck accident attorneys right away to ensure you do not waive your right to possible compensation.