18-wheeler Accident in San Antonio Closes I-10

Beth Janicek — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:09:13 GMT

I blogged last week on Texas having the most 18-wheeler traffic fatalities and reading the local newspaper this weekend further confirms the subject. A tractor trailer carrying recyclable cardboard swerved across a median killing one person instantly and seriously injuring the occupants of two other vehicles. A 13-year old boy was among the injured. The driver of the 18-wheeler could not remember what happened.

Truckers occupy our two major highways I-10 and I-35 which I'm sure contributes to Texas having the most 18-wheeler traffic fatalities. As previously discussed in my earlier post our nation’s highways would be much safer if the trucking industry regulated the speed of large trucks. It is unclear with this recent 18-wheeler fatality in San Antonio if speed played a factor.

Another problem with 18-wheelers is the amount of time they spend on the road increasing the chance of accidents. The average time truckers are on the road is 10 to 15 hours at a time. That is a very long time to be on the road operating an 80,000 lb. truck.

For more information regarding 18-wheelers go to: The Trucker's Report.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Texas Has the Most 18-wheeler Traffic Fatalities

Beth Janicek — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:28:17 GMT

If you commute to work, especially on I-35 or I-10, you probably see many 18-wheeler trucks traveling in both directions. In traffic or out of traffic, fast or slow; big rigs can be intimidating, and if an accident does occur, most passenger cars are not equipped to take on one of these rigs. With problems such as truckers speeding and tailgating, our highways become a dangerous place to share with a vehicle that weighs over 80,000 pounds.

In 2007, Texas had the most traffic fatalities involving an 18-wheeler than any other state. Last year in Texas there were a total of 4845 traffic fatalities, 455 of those involved an 18-wheeler, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Across the nation last year one out of every nine traffic fatalities involved an 18-wheeler. In addition, 101,000 people in America were injured in an accident with a big-rig.

For more information, check out this website for Road Safe America, an organization dedicated to making the roads safer for passenger cars and trucks. They are joining with the leading trucking companies in a major effort to make the nation's highways safer by petitioning for trucking industry regulations that would slow the maximum speed of large trucks. According to their website:

When tractor-trailers and cars collide in a fatal crash, 98 percent of the fatalities occur in the cars. It's clear why: for a car to have the force of a tractor-trailer, which weighs 80,000 pounds, traveling at 60 mph, it would have to be speeding at over 300 mph. Limiting trucks to reasonable speeds will make our highways significantly safer while preserving truckers' important jobs.

This is one regulation that would certainly make me feel a little safer on the roadway.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer - Tractor-Trailer Accidents

18-wheeler Accident in San Antonio Closes I-10

Texas Has the Most 18-wheeler Traffic Fatalities