Speed is a common factor in far too many semi-truck accidents
Many large commercial trucks travel on the roads and highways in Arkansas. When fully loaded, a tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. With this much weight, when trucks are involved in a crash, they can cause severe damage.
There's no question that most tractor-trailer accidents are catastrophic. Accidents involving 18-wheelers have a high fatality rate, but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has a suggestion that has the potential to save thousands of lives every year.
Speed limiting devices
The FMCSA is moving forward with a new rule for large vehicles like commercial trucks, buses, and other vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds. Under the proposal, qualifying vehicles would be required to have speed-limiting devices installed. The new rule would expand on another proposed rule from 2016, suggesting trucks go no faster than 60 mph, 65 mph, or 68 mph.
According to the FMCSA, “The National Roadway Safety Strategy identified speed as a major factor in fatal crashes and speed management as a primary tool to reduce serious injuries and fatalities.”
There is no defined maximum speed limit for commercial trucks or a set timeframe for the speed devices. Yet the FMSCA is hopeful and envisions this rule as a measure to reduce truck wrecks, save lives, and reach the goal of zero lives lost on the nation's roadways.
Fatal truck accidents on the rise
Data published in Safety and Health Magazine shows a jump in fatal truck crashes involving speeding. From 2009 to 2019, such crashes increased by 50 percent.
Tractor-trailers are enormous, and when they crash at high speeds, the accidents are horrific. For example, on I-30, about 50 miles southwest of Little Rock, Arkansas, an accident involving multiple semi-trucks resulted in 3 fatalities. According to the New York Post, the trucks had lost their cargo, had their trailers split open, and were engulfed in flames
Truck accident statistics
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shares the following noteworthy statistics about fatal truck accidents:
- 4,014 people died in large truck crashes in 2020.
- Fatalities were 28 percent higher in 2020 than in 2009.
- 57 percent of fatalities from semi-truck accidents involved another large truck.
- 36 percent of deaths from tractor-trailer crashes in 2020 happened on interstates and freeways, where speeding is more common.
Contact our experienced truck accident attorneys today
Cases involving truck accidents are high stakes because the injuries sustained by victims can be life-changing. Depending on the specific details of your case, you may be entitled to a significant amount of financial compensation, but actually recovering the compensation you're entitled to can be difficult.
Trucking companies have teams of attorneys to advocate for their best interests, which is why you need an experienced truck accident lawyer to even the odds and advocate for you.
At the McDaniel Law Firm, PLC, our truck accident attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience helping victims get the financial compensation they need and deserve. Let our law firm fight for your rights. Contact us today for a free consultation. Our office is conveniently located in Jonesboro, and we serve clients in Arkansas, Southeast Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee.
