Commercial traffic makes up to 13% of all traffic on interstates and busiest urban highways in Pennsylvania, according to Pennsylvania Traffic Data Reporting. Drivers share local roadways, such as the Schuylkill and Vine Street Expressway, with tractor-trailers, tankers, garbage trucks, and flatbeds. We’ve outlined the following statistics, to hopefully help you understand and avoid dangerous truck accidents in Philadelphia:
- The third most fatal roadway in America for trucking accidents is located in Pennsylvania, a stretch of I-95 that connects to the PA Turnpike near Philadelphia.
- Pennsylvania leads the nation in fatal underride accidents, at 118 crashes. An underride accident occurs when a passenger vehicle slides underneath the back or sides of a truck — think motorcycle. No other state came close to those numbers, California ranked second with 89 fatal underride crashes.
- The last year in which Federal standards for underride protection devices were updated was is 1998.
- The original law, which was written in 1953, required that some but not all tractor-trailers and straight trucks with cargo beds of 30” or more ground clearance have a guard to help prevent this type of accident.
- The new law, from 1998, reduced the height requirement to 22” and only applies to vehicles manufactured after January 26, 1998; it does not apply to those manufactured prior to that date.
- Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation for the highest number of fatal truck collisions between 2015 and 2017, with 405 crashes.
- Of course, there is no amount of money that can compensate for the loss of a loved one, having a personal representative can assist with bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party in these situations on behalf of the beneficiaries of the deceased (eg. spouse, children, parents).
- The percentage of truck drivers whose distracted or inattentive driving caused their accidents is 28% according to a study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FCMSA).
- A 2012 Federal Law set new restrictions on the use of hand-held devices by commercial drivers; failure to comply can result in fines for the driver or the company they drive for.
- When distracted driving causes an accident in Philadelphia, it can lead to a personal injury claim.
If you or a family member has been the victim of a trucking accident in Philadelphia or the surrounding community, you can call (267) 457-5570 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The complexity of a truck accident requires experienced legal assistance to help ensure that rights are protected and compensation maximized.