Big Rig Accidents in Mississippi

Big Rig Accidents in Mississippi

While Mississippi is one of the leading states in dark statistics as far as car crashes go, it has a limited number of accidents involving big rigs. The problem with these heavy vehicles is that they can cause serious injuries and even death. Usually, the victims happen to be in the other vehicle – a logical occurrence that can be explained by the big size of the rig.

Accident and Fatality Statistics

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has detailed statistics about fatal crashes involving big trucks. Here are some of the data for the period ranging from 2005 to 2015:

YearFatal CrashesFatalities
20057791
20067490
20076775
20086670
20095361
20105255
20115873
20123951
20135563
20146681
20156472

Some newer information focuses on data for 2016. In 2016, there were 1,760 collisions involving 1,923 big trucks. Of these, 67 caused death, and there were 1,043 injuries. Data for 2017 so far suggests there have been 448 large truck crashes in Mississippi. They led to 24 deaths and 296 injuries.

Statistics for Mississippi are not in line with national averages. The state has seen a slight decrease in the number of fatal crashes from 2014 to 2015. On a national level, fatalities went up 1.7 percent on an annual basis.

Hazardous Cargo

Heavy trucks are often utilized for the transportation of hazardous cargo. It could come in the form of flammable substances (liquids, gases or solids), corrosive or explosive materials.

The National Transport Safety Board hasn’t reported about hazmat accidents in this state over the past few years. More information about current hazmat crashes can be obtained real time from the Global Hazmat Situations Map.

On a national level, the number of large hazmat truck crashes has gone down from 145 in 2012 to 112 in 2014. These trucks involved in fatal crashes were most often transporting flammable liquids, corrosives, flammable gases, explosives, oxidizing substances and flammable solids.

Contributing Factors

Factors that contribute to a higher risk of a big rig accident are the same across the US. Driver mistakes, fatigue, and failure to follow regulations lead to the biggest number of injuries and fatalities.

Here are some of the most common contributing factors that lead to big rig accidents in Mississippi:

  • Truck driver fatigue
  • Speeding and attempts to meet unrealistic deadlines (leading to risky driving)
  • Vehicle failures like brake problems or faulty tires
  • Weather problems and driving behavior that doesn’t correspond to the road condition
  • Driving in the wrong lane, failure to follow signs, directions and traffic light information
  • Poor overtaking practices
  • Use of drugs or alcohol
  • Roadway problems and unfamiliarity with the road

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