Portsmouth, Virginia Trucking Accident Lawyer Report: Fatal Truck Accidents Rose in 2010

America’s roads are getting safer – but not if you are a truck driver.

The recently released 2010 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) figures revealed car accident deaths were at their lowest level since 1949, but the number of fatal commercial truck accidents rose by a sharp 8.7 percent in 2010.

The figures revealed deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers dropped 4.9 percent in 2010, leading to the loss of 10,228 lives compared to 10,759 in 2009.

However, fatalities rose among pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and large truck occupants.

In 2010, 3,675 people died in accidents involving commercial trucks. The figure is curious given the fact the recession has reduced the numbers of trucks on the road and raises the question whether greater demands are being placed on truck drivers, leading to increased fatigue.

See this video about truck crashes

As experienced Norfolk, VA truck accident injury attorneys, we are aware there are many causes of crashes but drivers falling asleep at the wheel is a major one.

There are countless examples of how fatigue can kill on the roads of Virginia (VA). A drowsy driver was linked to a bus crash that killed four people near Richmond, VA in May 2011.

Norfolk, Newport News and Portsmouth are a major transportation freight hubs that see hundreds of trucks coming in and out on interstates such as I-64, I-664 and I-264. It’s alarming to realize many of these big rigs may be driven by drivers who are fatigued. In my practice of trucking law, I have seen that often the person hurt in a truck wreck is another trucker in a second truck, and I have helped a number of drivers injured by poor driving by other big rig operators.