Newly Released Truck Crash Data from FMCSA

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the federal agency in charge of large truck and bus safety in the United States. Each year, the FMCSA compiles a report of statistics called Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts. The 2014 edition includes excel spread sheets containing data on all of the truck and bus crashes that took place on public roadways during the year. The report compiles information and descriptive statistics about fatalities, injuries, and crashes that only involved property damage. The report also includes some data about passenger vehicle crashes from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The first year the report was published was 1975, so the report covers crash statistics from 1975 to the current year of the report.

Trends in large truck and bus crashes in 2014

• In 2014, 3,978 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes. This total is down 5% from the previous year.
• Between 2013 and 2014, the total number of large trucks involved in injury crashes increased by 21%, from 73,000 to 88,000.

Crashes involving large trucks

• In 2014, there were approximately 411,000 police-reported crashes involving large trucks. At least 1% or 3,424 of those crashes resulted in at least one fatality, and 20% or 82,000 of those crashes resulted in at least one non-fatal injury.
• Rollover (overturn) crashes accounted for 5% of all fatal crashes involving large trucks and 2% of all non-fatal crashes involving large trucks.
• Per one million people in the United States, there were 10.7 fatal crashes involving large trucks in 2014. This total was a 1% increase from 2010.

Human factors in large truck crashes

The 2014 report highlights below include how the truck or bus driver may have contributed in some way to the cause of the crash:

• Of the 3,967 truck drivers that were involved in fatal crashes, 9% or 335 drivers were not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash. Of those 335 drivers, 30% were either partially or completely ejected from the truck in the crash.
• At least one driver-related factor was recorded for about 34% of the large truck drivers involved in fatal crashes, as compared to about 58% of passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes. Speeding, distraction, and impairment (fatigue, alcohol, illness, etc.) were the top three factors in large truck crashes.

Large, commercial truck crashes continue to cause injuries and deaths on our nation’s highways. Each year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration looks at the leading causes of large truck crashes and looks to find ways to make our highways and roadways safer. Despite the FMCSA’s efforts, the roads of this country remain dangerous, and that is why the attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC, are here to help.

The experienced Tennessee truck accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC, protect the rights of those who have been injured in a truck accident or any other kind of accident caused by negligence. Please contact us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a free consultation and to discuss your case with one of our Jackson or Memphis truck accident lawyers today.