Anyone who’s been involved in an accident with a commercial truck knows how serious they can be. However, at Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we’ve found that many people don’t realize how common accidents are. Of course, the majority of truck drivers may be driving safely but it only takes one driver making one mistake to cause serious problem.
Stats about the number of trucks in the U.S.
First of all, would you be surprised to learn that there are about half a million trucking companies in the United States? In total there are more than two million semi-trucks operating, and most of them are owned by the person who drivers them. There are more than 200 million people in the U.S. licensed to drive a commercial truck. Those drivers make about $0.30 per mile for a total of an average of $32,000 per year.
The United States relies on the trucking industry
70% of goods in the U.S. rely on the trucking industry to get from one place to another. In fact, the most recent stats show that the trucking industry logs more than 140 billion miles per year – and that number is constantly rising. Not surprisingly considering these statistics, the trucking industry is expected to continue to grow over the next decade.
What the trucking industry gives versus what it uses
Many people also don’t realize that the trucking industry spends about $20 billion a year to operate on our roads, which means they’re putting money back into our roads. That said, they’re also using more than 53 billion gallons of fuel every year.
The truth about trucking accidents
If you look at every fatal accident that occurs on roads in this country, about 9% of them involve a commercial vehicle of any kind. That could mean a truck or bus accident – or any other commercial vehicle. However, about 80% of these accidents were not caused by the professional driver – they were caused by the other driver.
Most truck drivers are some of the safest drivers on the road
A commercial driver’s license is needed to drive a truck, and though it is relatively easy to get, it can be more difficult to keep it. For example, if a truck driver has several accidents or tickets, they’ll not only have a hard time finding somewhere to work, but they’ll have a hard time keeping their license. Driving records are available online and employers can quickly see the record of anyone they’re considering hiring.
Call us today if you’ve been involved in a truck accident
While commercial drivers may be safer on average, that doesn’t mean they never cause accidents. If you’ve been injured in an accident with a truck, then you may need to hire a personal injury attorney. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for your free case evaluation.
