Commercial trucks are a vital part of the U.S. economy. Unfortunately, trucks can put other vehicles on the road at risk due to their size and weight, and truck accidents often result in injury or death.
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What is a commercial vehicle?
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In Pennsylvania, commercial trucks are classified as “heavy trucks,” which separates them from smaller vehicles like pickup trucks or SUVs.
Vehicles classified as commercial trucks include:
TRACTOR-TRAILERS
18-WHEELERS
TANKER TRUCKS
FREIGHT TRUCKS
DELIVERY TRUCKS
Pennsylvania Truck Crash Facts
12 PERCENT
Trucks areresponsible for
of all fatal Pennsylvania accidents
ROUGHLY 2 PERCENT
Of those killed in fatal truck accidents are heavy truck occupants
ROUGHLY 98 PERCENT
Of those killed in fatal truck accidents are occupants of passenger vehicles or pedestrians
What causes most truck accidents?
Truck accidents can be caused by human error or equipment failures.
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of all truck accidents are caused by
human error
88
percent
of human error accidents are
6
causes
the top
1. SPEEDING
2. FAILURE TO YIELD
3. RECKLESS DRIVING
of human error accidents are
6
causes
the top
4. DISTRACTION
5. FAILURE TO STAY IN LANE
6. INTOXICATION
1. TIRE OR WHEEL FAILURES
2. BRAKE FAILURES
3. UNSECURE OR OVERLOADED TRAILERS
3
causes
the top
of vehicle failure accidents are
What are the most common types of truck accidents?
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According data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the most common types of truck accidents are as follows: