Fatalities in large truck accidents increased 8.7% in 2010, according to a report released last week by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
NHTSA said in its annual report that 3,675 people died in trucking related accidents in 2010, an increase of 295 over the 3,380 fatalities in 2009. The number injured in trucking accidents increased 12% from 17,000 to 19,000. (Those number are surely rounded off.)
NHTSA did not clearly identify a cause, but increased truck traffic due to gradual economic recovery is likely a major factor.
Ken Shigley is an Atlanta based trucking trial attorney who currently serves as president of the State Bar of Georgia.