What’s the Most Dangerous Day of the Week for a Truck Crash?

Poisson, Poisson & Bower, PLLC |  |  Trucking Accidents
Overturned truck crash

Although you might not think that the day of the week could increase your risk of being involved in a truck accident, you are statistically more likely to be involved in a fatal collision with a commercial vehicle on certain days than others.

 

The Worst Day of the Week for a Truck Accident

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, fatal traffic accidents of all types occur most frequently on Saturdays. In contrast, large truck crash fatalities more frequently occur on weekdays, with Thursday having the most truck crash deaths. Saturday and Sunday combined roughly equal the number of large truck crash fatalities on each weekday.

In short, Thursday is the worst day for fatal truck accidents, and weekdays are generally worse for deadly truck crashes. That is different from deadly crashes involving only passenger cars. Weekends see the most deaths in passenger car accidents.

These statistics make sense when you think about the fact that traffic rates increase on weekends as people travel, take care of errands, or go to local events. Increased traffic means a higher risk of accidents. Conversely, large trucks like 18-wheelers typically operate during the workweek, making deadly truck crashes more likely from Monday to Friday.

Statistics on Truck Crashes and Fatalities

Important statistics of truck accident fatalities include:

  • In fatal truck accidents involving a large truck and a passenger vehicle, 97 percent of fatalities occurred for passenger vehicle occupants. In comparison, occupants of the truck accounted for only 3 percent of deaths.
  • 59 percent of fatal large truck accidents involved only the truck and another vehicle, while 24 percent of accidents involved more than two vehicles.
  • 11 percent of truck accident fatalities occurred in crashes involving large trucks, while 89 percent of deaths happened in accidents involving other types of trucks.
  • 74 percent of fatalities in large truck crashes occurred in accidents involving a tractor-trailer, while 28 percent of deaths happened in accidents involving a single-unit truck.
  • Only 32 percent of large truck crash fatalities occurred on the interstate or other freeways.
  • Other major roads accounted for most of the large truck accident fatalities, 52 percent.
  • 15 percent of deaths in large truck accidents happened on minor surface streets.
  • Nearly half of all truck accident fatalities occur between the hours of 3 p.m. and 12 midnight.

Truck Accident Trends

Truck accident statistics from the IIHS show that truck crashes have decreased from their high mark in 1979, dipping to a low in 2009. But since 2009, fatalities in truck accidents have been slowly climbing back up, with fatality numbers in 2019 reaching 31 percent higher than the 2009 mark.

However, fatality rates in truck accidents per 100 million truck miles traveled have remained relatively steady since the low mark in 2009.

Contact Our Truck Accident Lawyers for Help Getting Compensation

If you were injured in a truck crash, contact Poisson, Poisson & Bower, PLLC. Our North Carolina truck accident lawyers have provided compassionate and aggressive representation to people who’ve been injured by negligence for more than 40 years.

Call us or contact us online for a free consultation.