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Legal
Representation of the Highest Caliber for
Seriously Injured People
and Their Families
Statistics
According to a new study released by
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) in March of
2006 (the Large Truck Crash
Causation Study detailed below),
drivers of large trucks and other
vehicles involved in truck crashes
are ten times more likely to be the
cause of the crash than other
factors, such as weather, road
conditions, and vehicle performance.
Action or inaction by the driver of
either the truck or other vehicle
was cited as the critical reason for
88 percent of the crashes. To view a
Press Release from the FMCSA about
the study, click here
The
Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS)
is based on a three-year data
collection project conducted by the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) and the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) of the United
States Department of Transportation
(DOT). LTCCS is the first-ever
national study to attempt to
determine the critical events and
associated factors that contribute
to serious large truck crashes so
agencies within DOT and others can
implement effective countermeasures
to reduce the occurrence and
severity of these crashes. The
results of the study were released
in March of 2006.
For the
purposes of the LTCCS, a "truck"
is defined as “a vehicle designed,
used, or maintained primarily for
carrying property, with a gross
vehicle weight rating or gross
combination weight rating of more
than 10,000 lbs.” During the
three-year study period of the
project, FMCSA estimated that there
were approximately 141,000 large
trucks involved in fatal,
incapacitating, and
non-incapacitating injury crashes.
This
table from the LTCCS shows the
estimated number of trucks involved
in crashes nation-wide by specific
factors associated with the
particular crash in which that truck
was involved.
|
Associated
Factor
|
Number
|
Percentage
|
|
Driver
|
|
Prescription Drug Use
|
37,000
|
26%
|
|
Traveling Too Fast For
Conditions
|
33,000
|
23%
|
|
Unfamiliar with Roadway
|
31,000
|
22%
|
|
Over-the-Counter Drug
Use
|
25,000
|
18%
|
|
Inadequate Surveillance
|
20,000
|
14%
|
|
Fatigue
|
18,000
|
13%
|
|
Illegal Maneuver
|
13,000
|
9%
|
|
Inattention
|
12,000
|
9%
|
|
Exterior Distraction
|
11,000
|
8%
|
|
Inadequate Evasive
Action
|
9,000
|
7%
|
|
Aggressive Driving
Behavior
|
9,000
|
7%
|
|
Unfamiliar with Vehicle
|
9,000
|
7%
|
|
Following Too Closely
|
7,000
|
5%
|
|
False Assumption of
Others’ Actions
|
7,000
|
5%
|
|
Under Pressure to Accept
Additional Loads
|
6,000
|
4%
|
|
Conversation
|
5,000
|
4%
|
|
Under Pressure to
Operate Even If Fatigued
|
4,000
|
3%
|
|
Misjudgment of Gap
Distance
|
4,000
|
3%
|
|
In a Hurry Prior to
Crash
|
4,000
|
3%
|
|
Illness
|
4,000
|
3%
|
|
Interior Distraction
|
3,000
|
2%
|
|
Illegal Drug Use
|
3,000
|
2%
|
|
Uncomfortable with Some
Aspect of Vehicle or
Load
|
4,000
|
3%
|
|
Self Induced Legal Work
Pressure
|
3,000
|
2%
|
|
Required to Accept Short
Notice Trips
|
3,000
|
2%
|
|
Work Schedule Pressure
|
3,000
|
2%
|
|
Upset Prior to Crash
|
3,000
|
2%
|
|
Alcohol Use
|
1,000
|
1%
|
|
Other Decision Factors −
includes proceeding with
obstructed view,
stopping when not
required to, and failing
to yield, as well as
others
|
13,000
|
9%
|
|
Other Physical Factors −
includes hearing
problems, prosthesis,
paraplegia, strenuous
activities, sleep apnea,
as well as others
|
11,000
|
8%
|
|
Other Motor Carrier Work
Pressure
|
9,000
|
6%
|
|
Other Recognition
Factors − includes
impending problem masked
by traffic flow pattern,
driver focused on
extraneous vehicle, and
other recognition error
|
4,000
|
3%
|
|
Other Emotional Factors
− includes clinical
depression
|
1,000
|
1%
|
|
Vehicle
|
|
Brake Deficiency
|
37,000
|
26%
|
|
Tire Deficiency
|
7,000
|
5%
|
|
Jackknife Event
|
7,000
|
5%
|
|
Overweight
|
7,000
|
5%
|
|
Cargo Shift
|
6,000
|
4%
|
|
Light Failure
|
5,000
|
3%
|
|
Brake Failure
|
5,000
|
3%
|
|
Cargo Securement
|
4,000
|
3%
|
|
Vehicle View Obstruction
− includes obstruction
related to load, vehicle
design, or other factor
|
2,000
|
1%
|
|
Engine, Fuel System, or
Exhaust Deficiency
|
2,000
|
1%
|
|
Transmission Failure
|
1,000
|
1%
|
|
Tire Failure
|
1,000
|
1%
|
|
Reflective Tape
Missing/Obscured
|
1,000
|
1%
|
|
All Other Defects −
includes suspension
frame deficiency, and
towing unit problem
|
5,000
|
4%
|
|
Environment
|
|
Traffic Flow
Interruption − includes
work zones, roadway
immersion, prior crash,
and traffic congestion
|
40,000
|
28%
|
|
Roadway Related Factors
|
29,000
|
20%
|
|
Stop Required Prior to
Crash − includes stop
required for traffic
control device, and
yield right of way
requirement
|
28,000
|
20%
|
|
Weather Related Factors
|
20,000
|
14%
|
|
Sight Obstructed by
Road/Other Vehicle
|
6,000
|
4%
|
|
Other Traffic/Vehicle
Factors − includes any
factors not listed
causing the driver to
feel uncomfortable with
surrounding traffic or
the vehicle
|
7,000
|
5%
|
|
Other Vehicle Obscured
(by Glare/Headlights,
etc)
|
2,000
|
2%
|
|
Other Environmental
Factors
|
1,000
|
0%
|
According to the Texas Department of
Public Safety, 502 people were
killed in collisions involving large
trucks in the State of Texas in
2005, and 9,807 were injured in
large truck accidents. Texas leads
the nation in the number of
fatalities, partly due to the number
of roadway miles and the
second-highest number of registered
trucks. California is the only state
with a higher volume of truck
traffic than Texas.
If you or
someone you know has been involved in an
accident involving a large truck, big rig,
18-wheeler or commercial vehicle call The
Crosley Law Firm, P.C. at 1-877-535-4529
toll free, complete the
contact form or
e-mail us for a no cost, no obligation
consultation.
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