What causes most truck accidents in Bullitt County, Kentucky, and the greater Louisville area? What should you do if you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident in Shepherdsville, Mount Washington, Shelbyville, Taylorsville, Radcliff, Elizabethtown, Jeffersontown, or Louisville, Kentucky?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) monitors and reports substantial annual data on truck accidents in Kentucky and throughout the United States. Understanding the facts surrounding accidents involving a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, box truck, or delivery vehicle can help you avoid a potential accident.
For example, 78% of fatal truck accidents occurred during the typical work week, between 6:00 am on Monday and 5:59 pm on Friday. It may surprise you to learn that DUI is not one of the typical factors associated with what causes most truck accidents in Bullitt County or throughout Kentucky. For example, a recent NHTSA study showed only three percent of truck drivers involved in a fatal accident tested above a .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration, compared to 24% in most fatal car accidents and 28% of fatal motorcycle accidents.
More than 80% of those who lost their lives in a fatal truck accident in the United States were not in the truck itself. 72% of those who lost their lives were occupants of another vehicle involved in the accident, and 11% were pedestrians or bicyclists.
Most of the answer to our question of what causes most truck accidents in Bullitt County, Kentucky, and the greater Louisville area comes from our Commonwealth’s recent “Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts.” This report indicates that mechanical failure on the truck, such as load shifting, defective brakes, mechanical or tire failure, or even an oversized load, is responsible for less than 7% of truck accidents in Kentucky. More than half of the responsible drivers were residents of Kentucky. However, the vast majority (almost 75%) of fatal truck accidents in Kentucky occurred on an interstate, US Route, or State Route.
There are many reasons why truck accidents occur, but the primary sources of truck collisions resulting in injuries in Kentucky involve speeding (11.6%), distraction/inattention (26.74%), failure to maintain proper control (39.5%), and failure to yield the right of way (16.3%). It is interesting to note that alcohol impairment was only an issue in 4.65% of truck accident collisions; however, drug involvement was a factor in more than 16% of the accidents.
Now that you know a little more about what causes most truck accidents in Bullitt County and across the Louisville region, you are more aware of when, where, and how to be more cautious around the many trucks that travel through our area. If you or someone you love has been injured or lost their life in a motor vehicle accident we invite you to contact us via e-mail, schedule an appointment or call us today at (502) 509-1490 to get the important advice and counsel required to protect your personal injury claim and achieve full and fair compensation for having to endure and recover from your injuries.
