The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration accident statistics show that there was a 3% increase in fatal trucking accidents from 2017 to 2018. The most common reasons for accidents involving large trucks are speeding, distraction, impairment (including fatigue, alcohol, illness), and environmental factors. Truck driver fatigue has been an increasing cause of tractor-trailer accidents as drivers are made to drive longer hours, work overtime, and not given enough time off. FMCSA regulations have been put in place to combat driver fatigue - it states that a company cannot punish a driver for refusing to perform any task that creates an unsafe driving condition.
This map put together by a team of experts at Parker Waichman law firm shows where these fatal trucking accidents occur most frequently. The team analyzed large truck accidents that ended fatally between 2014 and 2018. In the study, only counties with more than 25,000 residents were counted. The top five counties with the highest fatal truck accidents per 100,000 people were:
Shelby County, TX: 59.350
Lea County, NM: 56.283
Williams County, ND: 53.207
Cibola County, NM: 52.484
Copiah County, MS: 49.884
