Can you guess if it is true or false that there are more truck accidents on Thursdays than on other days of the week? Believe it or not, this is a true statistic. Keep reading to get more data and to learn why these stats occur. Then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation if you have suffered an injury in a truck accident.
Statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
According to stats from the IIHS, there are more accidents involving large trucks on Thursdays than on other days of the year. Interestingly, the leading cause of fatal vehicle accidents – drunk driving – is more common on Fridays and Saturdays. However, drivers of large trucks do not drive on the weekend as often as they do during the week.
Fatigue is a Major Cause of the These Accidents
So why is Thursday such a dangerous day? As mentioned above, many truck drivers avoid driving on Fridays and Saturdays because there are more drunk drivers on the road – and more drivers in general. As a result, Thursdays tend to be their final workday of the week. As is true of many other professions, by the time they get to the end of the workweek, they are tired – and this fatigue can lead to an accident.
A Closer Look at the Data
Just how significant is the difference? Consider that on the average Sunday, there will be 21 accidents involving a large truck. On an average Thursday, there will be 101. The differences are even starker when you look at fatalities. The average number of fatalities from truck accidents on a Sunday is 23, while Thursdays average 137.
Further, the data shows that most accidents involving big rigs occur between 6 AM and 3 PM. They are much less likely to occur after 6 PM and before 3 AM. Finally, the data determined that more than half of fatal truck accidents occurred on major roads – not on highways or interstates.
How to Reduce Your Chance of Becoming a Statistic
To stay safer when you are around big rigs, stay out of their blind spots. If you are going to pass, pass them right away – do not hesitate in their blind spot – and always pass to the left of the truck. When you are behind a truck, make sure you leave plenty of distance between you and them. Finally, as you would, any time you are behind the wheel, make sure that you are focusing on driving and not driving while distracted.
If you are the victim of a truck accident, or you lose a loved one due to a truck accident, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
