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Large trucks and semi trucks are involved in thousands of fatal accidents each year. Let’s take a look at the most recent data from FARS and FMCSA to determine how common fatal truck accidents are in South Carolina.
How Common Are Trucking Accidents?
The number of annual truck accidents varies by state. In 2019, there were over 5,000 large truck accidents which is a lot but is not anywhere close to the nearly 20,000 motor vehicle accidents in the same year.
Fatal Truck Accident Statistics
From 2009 to 2019, fatal truck crashes in America have risen from 3,380 to 5,005. According to national data from FARS, there were 1,397 fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2019. Of the total, the following data shows how many of these accidents were from trucks.
| Vehicle Type | Total | Percent |
| Passenger Cars | 19,582 | 38.2% |
| Light Trucks | 19,830 | 38.7% |
| Large Trucks | 5,005 | 9.8% |
| Motorcycles | 5,114 | 10.0% |
| Buses | 232 | 0.5% |
| Other | 1,484 | 2.9% |
| Total | 51,247 | 100.0% |
In the same year, there were 1,397 vehicles involved in fatal crashes in South Carolina. The following table shows the percentage of fatal accidents with trucks involved compared to the total number of fatal crashes from all vehicle types.
| Vehicle Type | Total | Percent |
| Light Trucks | 557 | 39.9% |
| Large Trucks | 120 | 8.6% |
| Total | 1,397 | 100.0% |
Are Truckers Liable for Accidents?
Truck drivers, when following traffic laws and driving properly, are not typically liable for truck accidents. The liability usually falls on the trucking company. Even if the trucker is at fault for the accident, they may still be free from financial liability.
According to Attorney Brian Mickelsen from Mickelsen Dalton LLC, “Commercial trucking companies must ensure that their vehicles and drivers are obeying all trucking laws. If they fail to do so, they can be found liable for injuries or deaths caused to those around them.”
What is the Most Frequent Type of Vehicle Accident in South Carolina?
Front collisions are the most common in South Carolina and across the United States. Let’s take a look at different types of large truck accidents in South Carolina in 2019. The following data is sorted by initial point of impact to show which type of truck accidents are the most common.
| Initial Point of Impact | Total Number |
| Front | 62 |
| Left Side | 22 |
| Right Side | 15 |
| Rear | 20 |
| Non-Collision | 1 |
| Total | 120 |
Which State Has the Most Large Truck Accidents?
According to the FMCSA, Texas had the highest number of fatal truck accidents from 2016 to 2019, with 652 total in 2019. The state with the least amount of fatal truck accidents in 2019 was the District of Columbia.
Causes of Truck Accidents in South Carolina
Truck accidents are caused by many factors including but not limited to:
- Distracted driving
- Alcohol use
- Adverse weather conditions
- Reckless driving
- Poorly trained truck driver
It is extra important for truck drivers to be careful on the road as many accidents are fatal each year. Drunk driving causes thousands of accidents every year, with over 36,000 deaths in 2019.
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