Nevada Truck Accident Lawyer - Las Vegas Truck Accident Attorney

This information relates to the safety of Large Trucks. If you came directly to this page from a search engine, may want to read the Nevada Personal Injury Law Introduction on our home page. Also, you can get an overview of the different types of accidents such as Wrongful Death, Auto Accidents, Premises Liability, and Products Liability before you explore Large Truck Safety Facts.

The following gives safety facts on Large Trucks for the year 2002:

In 2002, 434,000 large trucks (gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic crashes in the United States; 4,542 were involved in fatal crashes. A total of 4,897 people died (11 percent of all the traffic fatalities reported in 2002) and an additional 130,000 were injured in those crashes.

In 2001, large trucks accounted for 4 percent of all registered vehicles and 7 percent of total vehicle miles traveled (2002 registered vehicle and vehicle miles traveled data not available).

In 2002, large trucks accounted for 8 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes and 4 percent of all vehicles involved in injury and property-damage-only crashes.

One out of nine traffic fatalities in 2002 resulted from a collision involving a large truck.

Of the fatalities that resulted from crashes involving large trucks, 79 percent were occupants of another vehicle, 7 percent were nonoccupants, and 14 percent were occupants of a large truck.

Of the injuries that resulted from crashes involving large trucks, 77 percent were occupants of another vehicle, 3 percent were nonoccupants, and 20 percent were occupants of a large truck.

Large trucks were much more likely to be involved in a fatal multiple-vehicle crash as opposed to a fatal single-vehicle crash than were passenger vehicles (84 percent of all large trucks involved in fatal crashes, compared with 61 percent of all passenger vehicles).

In 29 percent of the two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a large truck and another type of vehicle, both vehicles were impacted in the front. The truck was struck in the rear nearly 2.5 times as often as the other vehicle (17 percent and 7 percent, respectively).

In 50 percent of the two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a large truck and another type of vehicle, both vehicles were proceeding straight at the time of the crash. In 9 percent of the crashes, the other vehicle was turning. In 9 percent, either the truck or the other vehicle was negotiating a curve. In 7 percent, either the truck or the other vehicle was stopped or parked in a traffic lane (5 percent and 2 percent, respectively).

Most of the fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred in rural areas (67 percent), during the daytime (67 percent), and on weekdays (80 percent). During the week, 75 percent of the crashes occurred during the daytime (6:00 AM to 5:59 PM). On weekends, 63 percent occurred at night (6:00 PM to 5:59 AM).

The percentage of large truck drivers involved in fatal crashes who were intoxicated with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dl) or greater was 2 percent in 2002. Intoxication rates for drivers of other types of vehicles involved in fatal crashes in 2002 were 22 percent for passenger cars, 23 percent for light trucks, and 31 percent for motorcycles.

Drivers of large trucks were less likely to have a previous license suspension or revocation than were passenger car drivers (7 percent and 14 percent, respectively).

Almost 28 percent of all large truck drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2002 had at least one prior speeding conviction, compared to 20 percent of the passenger car drivers involved in fatal crashes.

All facts excerpted from: Traffic Safety Facts 2002 - Large Trucks (DOT HS 809 608), National Center for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, online at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002trkfacts.pdf (visited on 12/17/03).

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If you want a free evaluation of your Las Vegas Truck Accident Claim, contact David Matheny, Esq. (of the law firm of Dempsey, Roberts & Smith, Ltd) for a free personal injury consultation. We are located in Las Vegas, Nevada and we provide legal services for Las Vegas Truck Accident Claimants (and many other injury claims) throughout the State of Nevada.