For Over a Decade Texas has been the Leader in Fatal Truck Accidents
Texas is a big state with a lot of production. That’s something to be proud of. Goods are manufactured here and shipped all around the country and the world.
With that production and shipment, however, come a lot of trucks on the road. More trucks lead to more crashes, and something that we shouldn’t be proud of: being the leader in deadly truck and bus crashes for a decade running.
FMCSA Reports Show Texas Far Outpaces Other States in Deadly Crashes
The FMCSA, or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, puts out a report each year that calculates a variety of statistics on crashes. One of the reports has to do with Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts.
The report comes out in September, and contains facts looking back two years. So, in 2021, the crash facts for 2019 will be available.
If previous years are any indication, the crash stats for 2019 probably won’t look any better than the stats from 2008 to 2018; all 10 years Texas had more fatal crashes in this category than any other state. In many years the discrepancy between the deadliest and second deadliest state was incredibly large.
Texas: Deadliest State for Large Truck Crashes
Over the years, deadly crashes have slowly increased (with the exception a couple small drops). Overall, however, the trend is toward deadlier roads.
This is an unfortunate result of having more people on the roads, and technology that continues to distract people at an alarming rate.
With a lot of people, and a lot of traffic, including a lot of semi trucks, Texas is significantly higher. How much higher? In 2018 there were 589 fatal truck and bus crashes in Texas, compared to 314 in California. See the stats on the FMCSA site.
Those crashes actually accounted for 13.3% of all fatal crashes across the nation.
California: Second Deadliest State for Large Truck Crashes
California, with its high population and intricate freeway network fares better, but is still far from reaching a fatality free year.
Every year since 2008, this state has been the second deadliest state for large truck crashes. Although in some years, such as 2018, Florida was approaching being just as deadly with their 295 fatal crashes to California’s 314.
How to Avoid Being a Statistic in a Deadly Truck Crash
Unfortunately, there is no way to properly honor all of the victims of these wrecks. It’s easy to talk about numbers, but hard to talk about the lives lost, the families broken, and the grief suffered by many thousands of people.
Fortunately, there is a way to reduce these numbers whether you’re driving truck or you’re sharing the road in a passenger vehicle.
The primary way. The best way. The method that will have the most significant impact on making every road throughout the country safer is to put down the phone. Eliminate those distractions. Focus on driving.
Learn more about the regulations on distracted driving as a semi truck driver.
Beyond that, pay more attention. Be aware of what’s going on, traffic patterns, and what other vehicles might not be paying attention and could lead to a crash. It’s a lot of work driving in high traffic areas; but arriving safely is worthwhile.
Herbert Law Group Helps Victims of Large Truck Crashes in Texas
If you, or a loved one, have been involved in a large truck crash, you need an attorney to help you navigate this complicated mess.
Most truck accidents aren’t as straight forward as car wrecks. There are a lot of moving parts that an experienced truck accident attorney will help with so you receive a settlement that is fair.
Let’s have a conversation about your wreck. Just call us at 214-414-3808, or simply fill out the contact form and we will reach out to you.