Defective & Dangerous Road Accident Attorney Lawyer
Truck & Auto Accidents and Injuries
Road conditions contribute to more than half of all deaths in vehicular crashes nationally - more than drunken driving, speeding or nonuse of seatbelts - according to a study commissioned by an industry group that advocates for boosting spending on road construction. More than half of U.S. highway fatalities are related to deficient roadway conditions - a substantially more lethal factor than drunk driving, speeding or non-use of safety belts - according to a landmark study released on July 1, 2009. Ten roadway-related crashes occur every minute (5.3 million a year) and also contribute to 38 percent of non-fatal injuries the report found. Titled "On a Crash Course: The Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways" the study found the $217 billion cost of deficient roadway conditions dwarfs the costs of other safety factors, including: $130 billion for alcohol, $97 billion for speeding, or $60 billion for failing to wear a safety belt. Indeed, the $217 billion figure is more than three-and-one-half times the amount of money government at all levels is investing annually in roadway capital improvements - $59 billion according to the Federal Highway Administration. The report also analyzed crash costs on a state-by-state basis.
- The 10 states with the Highest total cost from crashes involving deficient road conditions are (alphabetically): Alabama - California - Florida - Georgia - Illinois - New York - North Carolina - Pennsylvania - Tennessee and Texas.
- Highest road-related crash costs per million vehicle miles of travel are: Alabama - Arkansas - Hawaii - Idaho - Kentucky - Louisiana - Mississippi - South Carolina - Tennessee and West Virginia.
- Highest road-related crash costs per mile of road are: California - Connecticut - District of Columbia - Florida - Hawaii - Maryland - Massachusetts - New Jersey - New York and South Carolina.
However, the trucking companies should be held negligent and accountable for their truck drivers when road conditions play a factor in causing a truck accident or truck collision. There is information available 24 hours a day to trucking companies on where, for example, road or highway construction is taking place. Further, truck drivers are licensed professionals and hold Commercial Drivers' Licenses (CDL). They are suppose to know their route and know where allegedly dangerous roadways or highways exist. Armed with this knowledge, they should not be able to escape liability when their negligence allows death and serious injuries to occur on the roads within the United States.
