Kreisman Law Offices Professional Corporation
The number of highway deaths in the United States in 2012 rose to 33,561. This was an increase of more than 1,000 deaths from 2011. This data was provided preliminarily by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The same report of data from NHTSA revealed that the number of deaths of occupants in large trucks and semi-trailer trucks increased substantially for the third consecutive year. The increase was 8.9% in 2012 from the previous year.
According to NHTSA information, there were 697 large truck occupant deaths that occurred in 2012. That was a 20% increase in fatalities of large truck occupants from 2011.
With this increase in highway deaths, it is imperative to point out that this was the first time there was an increase since 2005. The deaths reported from large truck and car crashes on American highways have been on the decline and had reached historic lows.
According to NHTSA, there was no increase in miles traveled by trucks and autos from 2011 to 2012. The large truck data includes non-freight hauling food trucks, which also includes smaller than tractor-trailers. These kinds of trucks have higher crash rates than semi trucks and other larger commercial trucks.
In any event, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) showed an upward trend in the number of large commercial trucks and bus crashes, including the number of people who were killed or injured in those crashes.
FMCSA information shows that commercial trucks and bus crashes have risen steadily since 2009. The number of deaths and injuries resulting from truck and bus crashes has also increased. The trend is that the number of injuries resulting from truck and bus crashes is on an upward course.
There may be evidence that the National Transportation Safety Board has called for an audit of FMCSA after investigations found that two large truck crashes and two commercial bus crashes may have been prevented had the agency cracked down on safety issues that were known to plague the operators. In other words, if the trucking company is known to be violating safety procedures, the agency should be cracking down on these companies so that deadly crashes are avoided.
Kreisman Law Offices has been successfully handling trucking accidents, trucking fatalities, truck accident fatalities and bus accident fatalities for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 38 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Bridgeview, Bedford Park, Western Springs, Clarendon Hills, Oakbrook Terrace, Villa Park, Glendale Heights, River Forest, Chicago Heights, Chicago (Andersonville, Lincoln Square, Little Italy, Greektown, Chinatown, West Town, Lincoln Park) and Riverside, Ill.
Related blog posts:
Large Truck Fatalities Are on the Rise