Unfortunately, the trends we saw from the mid- to late-00s with declining rates of truck accidents that caused either injuries or fatalities are no more. The number of truck accidents that are likely to cause injuries or deaths is rising and quickly. While there is funding in place to help slow the increasing trends and, hopefully, also to bring the statistics down to pre-2009 levels or below, much more needs to be done.
In Recent News
In May of 2019, the Fresno Bee reported a massive crash on I-5 in the Central Valley. This truck accident resulted in many injuries and two semis that overturned due to another rear-ending a passenger vehicle. Accidents caused by a large truck can cause much more damage than the cars on our Central Valley roadways. They are much heavier, much larger, prone to overturning and take much longer to brake.
Truck Accident Statistics
As we mentioned above, the newest truck accident statistics show an increasing number of accidents causing injuries or fatalities.
From 2009 to 2015, the number of injury-causing truck accidents rose over 60%. Before that, from 2002 to 2009, those numbers were steadily declining and had reduced by over 40%. There are several reasons stated for this sudden and sobering change. Since 2009, cell phones are being used more and more often, a common cause of distracted driving. Changes in the trucking industry, such as limited hours on the road and the way drivers are paid, may have also played a role.
There were similar statistics seen when it comes to a truck accident causing a fatality. From 2005 to 2009, there was a steady decline in the number of deaths caused by large truck accidents. Around the same time that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration noted the increase in injury-causing truck accidents, they noticed a sharp rise in those causing fatalities. In fact, from 2009 to 2017, they saw a rise of 40%, with an 8% increase during the 2016-2017 years alone.
Central Valley Truck Accident Funding Statistics
Funds from the Federal government as well as those allocated in the California annual budget report are being used to help educate truck drivers about the dangers of driving on California roadways as well as spread the word about how common truck accidents are these days. Fresno County was awarded four separate grants:
- AL Probation Grant
- DI Vertical Prosecution Grant
- PS Education/Public Awareness Grant
- PT Local/Allied Agency Enforcement Grant
The funds from these grants will be used to help reduce the number of injury-causing and fatal truck crashes on Fresno county roadways. Other counties in the Central Valley were also awarded state and federal grants.
Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS)
The Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, or SafeTREC, is a program run by US Berkley to help track the collisions that result in injuries or fatalities. This information is now being used to help determine where state and federal grants could best be spent to help reduce the number of accidents in those areas. Every accident resulting in an injury or fatality is entered into the Transportation Injury Mapping System or TIMS. This system is available to anyone with a quick registration process.
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident that happened in the Central Valley, it’s crucial to choose a personal injury lawyer who has the experience needed to represent you fairly. With offices in Merced, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Visalia, Martin Gasparian is the attorney to which you need to speak. Email him today at martin@maisonlaw.comto schedule your free consultation.
