The good news from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is that the overall number of 2017 car crash fatalities in the nation decreased to 37,133 from 37,806 the previous year. This works out to a 1.8 percent decline in fatal accidents on roadways throughout California and the rest of the country. The largest declines were among bicyclist-related accidents at 8.1 percent and motorcyclist-related accidents at 3.1 percent. Deaths from passenger vehicle crashes decreased by 1.4 percent.
However, the grim news is that the administration saw a significant rise in the number of fatalities involving large trucks. The NHTSA describes large trucks as those in excess of 10,000 pounds. During 2017, truck accidents were on the rise. A total of 4,761 casualties were reported from crashes involving trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds. This was 392 more deaths than in 2016 for an overall increase of 9 percent.
Another good piece of news from the report is that between 2016 and 2017, there was a 5.6 percent decrease in fatalities resulting from motor vehicle accidents that involved speeding drivers. On the downside, the NHTSA reported that 8.5 percent of the overall death toll on the nation’s highways was caused by distracted driving.
A truck accident can cause substantial devastation for anyone involved. When someone is killed or severely injured in any motor vehicle accident, it may be best to consult with a personal injury attorney. Tn a case of truck driver negligence or fatigue, an attorney may be able to help an injured victim get maximum compensation for their loss.