Florida roads are frequently traveled by commercial trucks. Recently, there has been an increase in the rates of accidents among big rigs.
How many trucks have been in accidents?
Between 2009 to 2019, 2018 had the highest number of fatal truck crashes. However, the numbers rose by 2020. During that year, close to 5,000 commercial trucks were involved in crashes resulting in fatalities. This marked a 4% decrease over the previous year. However, truck accidents have increased since 2011 by 33%.
Over 100,000 trucks were involved in accidents that resulted in injuries in 2020. Although this is a 2% decrease since 2019, the numbers are still high. Most of the most serious truck accidents occurred on rural roads during the daytime as well.
Why are truck accidents so serious?
Truck accidents are very dangerous and pose significant risks to everyone on the roads due to the size and weight of the vehicles. The average semi-truck weighs around 20,000 pounds when it’s not carrying cargo. When cargo is loaded on a truck, its total weight could reach up to 80,000 pounds. This is much heavier than the average passenger car, which weighs only a fraction of a truck’s weight.
Commercial trucks are also much slower to stop. When the driver brakes, it takes time for the truck to stop due to its special air braking system. This is why it’s always advised for drivers to leave plenty of space between their vehicle and a truck. A truck can easily end up hitting another vehicle if the driver of that other vehicle doesn’t take care to give extra room.
A truck also has several blind spots, which means the driver cannot see around those areas. Even if a truck driver takes extra precautions to check their blind spots, it’s possible for some cars and other vehicles to remain hidden from view.