Increase the Risk of Truck Accidents?

As a hub of transportation and freight, one form of travel far exceeds all the others - driving. Over 80 percent of the freight moving through California, or to other states, was shipped on trucks. These beasts of the road travel at all hours of the day and night, and are formidable to drivers in smaller vehicles.

Does Freight Transportation Increase the Risk of Truck Accidents?

California's highways are among the most heavily traveled in the United States. Because of the number of vehicles on the road, and the geography, auto accidents are unfortunately common. The more vehicles there are on the road, the more likely that accidents will happen. When you combine that with factors like fatigue, heavy loads, and inexperience, it is no wonder that accidents are so common.

California ranks second in the nation in terms of the number of truck accidents. In 2015, there were 296 fatalities related to truck accidents. Looking over the past several years, the trend suggests that around 300 fatalities each year. Interstates 5 and 10 are notorious for truck accidents, each averaging 1,000 truck accidents each year.

Truck accidents are not limited to a certain area, however. In California, truck accidents causing injury or death are most common in the following counties:

·         Los Angeles

·         San Bernardino

·         Riverside

·         Orange

·         Alameda

These heavily traveled areas are hubs of transportation, commerce, and tourism.