Sharing the road with a 75 foot long, 80,000 pound truck can be daunting enough. While true that sometimes true accidents do happen, maintenance failures and faulty equipment issues are surprisingly common contributing factors in trucking accidents. Here are some key statistics:
How Common Are These Issues?
Maintenance Issues: According to studies by the federal government, maintenance issues were a contributing factor in nearly 40% of truck accidents. This is a significant percentage that shows maintenance problems are far from rare.
Mechanical Failures: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Fatal Causation Study found that in 55% of truck accidents involving injury, the truck had at least one mechanical failure. Even more concerning, the same study discovered that 30% of trucks had at least one out-of-service equipment issue – meaning equipment that was so defective it should not have been on the road.
Key Areas Where Equipment Fails
The most common maintenance-related issues that contribute to accidents include:
- Brake system failures – Often due to poor maintenance of brake pads, brake fluid, or air brake systems
- Tire problems – Including worn treads, improper inflation, or defective tires
- Steering system defects – Problems with power steering or steering linkages
- Suspension issues – Worn or broken suspension components affecting vehicle control
- Lighting and electrical problems – Failed brake lights, turn signals, or headlights
- Cargo securement failures – Particularly relevant to accidents involving oversized loads
Why This Matters
These statistics are significant for several reasons:
- They contradict the industry narrative – While trucking companies often claim that 87% of truck accidents are caused by driver error, the maintenance statistics show that equipment failures are major contributing factors that often work in combination with other issues.
