National Truck Accident Stats Part 1 | New York City Truck Accident Lawyer

As New York City Personal Injury Attorneys we have handled many truck accident cases.

Truck Accidents: The Car Driver’s Perspective (Part 1)

The U.S. trucking industry employs an estimated 8.9 million people, 3.5 million of whom are truck drivers. Large commercial vehicles are vital to the country’s economy, delivering nearly 70 percent of all freight transported in the U.S. each year. About $671 billion worth of retail and manufactured goods are transported by truck within the U.S. Truck trade with Mexico and Canada adds almost $500 billion more.

Most truck drivers are skilled and reliable. They must be particularly aware of the special needs and circumstances involved in operating very large vehicles. They must also be attentive to the fact that they share the road with smaller passenger vehicles. Car drivers are often unfamiliar with the performance capabilities of trucks. These drivers may not recognize how cars and trucks differ in terms of braking, acceleration and visibility. At higher speeds on major highways, driver errors that may be of little consequence where small vehicles are involved can prove disastrous in the presence of an eighteen-wheeler.

by Ruth Stern, Esq. for The ORLOW Firm