The department of transportation put out the crash stats for large trucks in 2012, and it shows that, while these crashes certainly happened in Florida, they actually happened less often in this state than the national average. The key is to not look at the total accidents, but at the crash percentages.
When looking at the danger posed by large trucks, the total accident statistics can be skewed. For instance, there were 3,428 vehicles that were involved in fatal accidents in Florida, but there were only 1,688 vehicles involved in these same types of accidents in Georgia.
While this may make Georgia appear far safer, the danger from large trucks was actually substantially higher, with these trucks involved in 8.8 percent of the crashes. In Florida, trucks were only involved in 5.7 percent of the accidents. There certainly were more crashes in Florida, but the percentages show that truck drivers were a bit safer.
Florida also comes in under the national average, which is 8.3 percent. This is found by looking at the total number of accidents in the U.S., which is 45,637, and the total number of big trucks involved, which is 3,802.
Even understanding the likelihood of an accident does not mean that the accident can be avoided, nor does it mean that there is no danger of being hurt in a trucking accident, even in the states that appear the safest. All states have these accidents, and the results can be catastrophic. If you have been injured, be sure that you know exactly what legal rights you may have to compensation.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Large Trucks” accessed Jan. 20, 2015