Quirk Law – Whether traveling down the coast or across the mountains, Ventura County features some surprisingly mountainous terrain. Driving is difficult enough in a vehicle or SUV, but big rig drivers frequently have more difficulty navigating the various terrain within and around cities such as Thousand Oaks.
Local drivers are accustomed to seeing accident scenes involving huge rigs on Ventura highways. It’s critical to draw attention to these frequent accidents so that regular and huge rig drivers know the dangers of their negligent and reckless behavior.
This article examines the incidents involving big trucks in Ventura County in the last few years. By analyzing the accident rates, we could determine how protected our highways are. It’s a good approach to remind motorists of trucks and cars that they are responsible for maintaining safety at all times.
Dangers of Ventura County Big Rig Accidents
Driving can be challenging in Ventura County along State Route 33, Highway 101, and Highway 1. Both truckers and regular motorists can be surprised by steep climbs and tight turns. Additionally, there are risks when moving through congested metropolitan streets during rush hour in locations like Simi Valley or Oxford.
These roadblocks can be challenging for drivers of small cars, but truck drivers, who control larger rigs and haul considerably higher payloads, find them especially challenging.
A big rig driver can lose control by moving too quickly or leaving a small lane. These minor errors frequently suffice to cause fatal multi-vehicle collisions.
Big Rig Accident Statistics for Ventura County for 2021
The Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) for California reports that 3,432 road accidents were reported in Ventura County overall in 2021. Unfortunately, 36 people died in such collisions. (As of today’s writing, the accident data for 2021 is merely provisional.)
Only a small number of documented collisions featured large vehicles; those that did, however, constantly resulted in higher injuries and more severe harm to individuals.
The numbers behind truck accidents in our county in 2021 are shown below, starting with the number of big rig accidents in Ventura County that resulted in deaths or injuries.
According to the early statistics, accidents involving large vehicles, such as big rigs, have been progressively increasing over the last few years.
These big rig accident statistics show not just the truck collisions but also show the toll they have on the victims’ loved ones and friends.
Patients involved in truck accidents must spend weeks or months in hospitals. Tragically, few individuals did not make it back alive and were included in the tragic cost of using the roads and highways in Ventura County when heavy, massive trucks were present.
Truck accidents in Ventura County increased by 33 in 2021 compared to 2020. Comparing the data to 2019 shows a noticeable increase as well.
Truck accidents in Oxnard and Thousand Oaks in 2021
By far, the biggest city in Ventura County is Oxnard. Compared to the following two largest cities, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, it has almost twice as many people.
Over a thousand road collisions were reported in Oxnard in 2021. Around 1,500 individuals were hurt, and at least one died from the accidents.
Oxnard also witnessed a startling increase in truck-related incidents throughout the year. That is based on 2021 preliminary data from TIMS. Truck accident statistics for 2021 nearly doubled when compared to those for 2020.
In recent years, truck collisions and injuries have increased steadily in Thousand Oaks. In practically every part of the city, drivers must navigate twisty and occasionally higher roadways while dodging heavy rigs.
Highway 101’s Conejo Grade is known for having serious collisions. Unfocused big rig drivers might be unprepared for this busy route’s 7% gradient. They could move too quickly to apply the breaks in time for halted traffic.
A curve might cause big truck drivers to lose control if they move far faster than is safe. The situation becomes more hazardous during morning and afternoon rush hours when passengers in and out of Los Angeles throng the highway and mingle with trucks.
In all, 481 road accidents were recorded by TIMS in Thousand Oaks throughout 2021. More than 600 people were hurt in the accidents, and four sadly were killed. Over the last five years, Thousand Oaks’ big rig crash statistics remained largely constant. However, the amount of injuries related to such crashes shows how the average truck collision rarely results in no injuries.
Conclusion
These depressing statistics are intended to influence truck drivers and other drivers on the road to change their behavior.
Sadly, Ventura County is a renowned location for both residence and travel. Traffic will remain backed up, and reckless big rig drivers’ collisions will continue.
Contact a truck collision attorney if you were hurt in a truck accident in Ventura County due to the negligence of the driver’s collision.
