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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released data in October 2019 that showed trucker deaths are rising and are at their highest level in more than 30 years. In 2018, 885 large truck occupants died.

NHTSA reported that overall deaths in crashes between large trucks and other vehicles have also risen. The agency said 4,678 people died in collisions with large trucks in 2018. That is up by almost 1 percent from the 4,369 that died in 2017. The number of pedestrians killed in accidents involving large trucks has increased by 13 percent.

“The numbers are even more reason that we shouldn’t head in the direction of loosening safety rules proven to work to make trucking safer and that help reduce the risks for people who share the road with trucks,” said Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The American Trucking Associations, an industry trade group, said the NHTSA figures “alone provide an incomplete picture of the safety of our highways.” The data does not account for how many vehicles drove on U.S. roads in 2018 and how many miles they traveled. The group believes the federal government should launch a new “Large Truck Crash Causation Study” to show which vehicles are responsible for large-truck crashes.

The IIHS says that most deaths in large-truck crashes are passenger vehicle occupants because of the size and weight differential where trucks may often weigh 20-30 times as much as passenger cars. Truck braking capability can also be a factor in truck crashes. Loaded tractor-trailers take 20-40 percent farther than cars to stop. Hours of service violations also contribute to large-truck accidents.

“The legal team at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. has many years of experience handling truck accidents. We consult with the best trucking experts in Florida to determine how an accident occurred, and how it could have been avoided. We reference state and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration laws to determine whether a trucking company or truck driver properly maintained the truck and complied with sleep requirements to prevent accidents. We provide personal contact and communication along with aggressive representation,” said Fort Myers Truck Accident Attorney Randall Spivey.

Fort Myers Truck Accident Attorney  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact  Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.