It probably will come as no surprise to readers that Texas ranks near the top of states that experience the most fatal tuck crashes. In a 2020 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Texas came in tenth when measuring the percentage of traffic fatalities involving large truck crashes, at over 11%. We also had the most overall fatal crashes that year, at over 5,400.
The numbers didn’t get any better after that – at least when looking at the country overall. The number of large truck crashes involving injury or death steadily rose in 2021 and 2022, according to NHTSA.
It might seem like most of these serious large truck crashes occur on interstates where speed limits are at their highest and commercial trucks are a common sight. However, NHTSA found that in 2022, over half (nearly 54%) of fatal large truck crashes occurred on rural roads. Even more (close to three-fourths) occurred on non-interstate roads. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of those injured or killed in these crashes were occupants of smaller vehicles.
Why are rural areas more deadly?
There are a number of reasons why rural roads are more dangerous not just when commercial trucks are involved, but for all drivers. For example, many rural roads simply aren’t wide enough to safely allow large trucks to co-exist with other vehicles. While truckers can use GPS settings that keep them off these roads, they may need to use them to make deliveries, and sometimes they’re more direct than interstates.
Further, rural areas are generally some distance from local hospitals emergency services. Help may just not get there in time. That can be especially true if a crash backs up traffic for miles, and first responders can’t reach the victims. There may also be spotty WiFi, so even notifying authorities of a crash can take time.
Lastly, rural roads are often desolate for long stretches, so it can be tempting for drivers to go over the speed limit because there are no other vehicles to slow them down. This makes it harder to stop when they need to.
As noted, those most likely to be injured or killed in a truck crash are people in smaller vehicles. When a commercial truck is involved in a crash, there are often several parties who pass the buck to avoid liability. Having experienced legal guidance can help victims cut through that and get the justice and compensation they deserve.