Driving through the streets of America could be a bumpy experience because of the bad road quality. Today, the roads have become 22% deadlier than they were before the pandemic. While Hawaii has the worst roads, the beautiful state of Missouri also ranks #24 on the list of ‘dangerous roads’ in America.
That’s because 12.1% of the state’s roadways are in poor condition. The main reasons for poor road quality could be old infrastructure or a lack of funding. Roads can also get damaged due to harsh climates and increased usage.
While many places in Missouri have bad roads, St. Louis has the worst. With a population of 286,578, the city usually witnesses jam-packed streets. In 2021 alone, there were 14,000 crashes and road accidents in the city.
In this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know about St. Louis roadways and truck accidents.
Why Are St. Louis Roads Dangerous?
St. Louis has a wonderful community with lots of museums, parks, and a vibrant culture. However, the city’s essence gets tainted by the high number of road accidents every year. For instance, in 2021, there were 178 fatalities caused by car crashes. Similarly, 42 unsuspecting pedestrians died due to various vehicular accidents.
The city’s roads were originally designed to handle the traffic of one million residents. However, a surge in population has resulted in car crashes and accidents. These happened primarily due to bad road conditions, overspeeding, distracted driving, etc.
Due to the frequency of accidents, residents consider some places in St. Louis to be dangerous for driving or walking. For vehicles, Page Avenue, Goodfellow Boulevard, and Chambers Road are the most dangerous. Similarly, pedestrians will find North Grand Boulevard, the I-70 intersection at Grand Avenue, and Natural Bridge Avenue hard to walk through.
The Pothole Problem in St. Louis
In August 2023, St. Louis topped the nation’s ‘worst city with potholes’ list. This instance was just a few weeks after a viral video from a local proved that St. Louis roads are the worst in America.
A survey suggests that this city has become the only one with over 1,000 searches about pothole-related concepts on Google. St. Louis residents Googled this because they wanted to know where the next pothole lurks. With this knowledge, they wanted to be extra vigilant while driving through the city.
The Biden administration has also stepped in and invested USD 2.8 billion towards road engineering, safety, and maintenance in Missouri State. However, reports suggest residents are still frustrated by the poor road quality and potholes.
Let’s take the example of Brandon Reid, a St. Louis resident. Every day, he feels like he’s driving through an obstacle course when going downtown for work. Sometimes, Reid has to take a longer route that adds 15 minutes to his commute to avoid potholes and bad roads.
Truck Accidents in St. Louis: Why Do They Happen?
Since Missouri is located in the heart of the country, commercial vehicles are seen on the highways a lot. Daily, the traffic of commercial trucks contributes to the state’s economic prosperity.
For example, the I-70 that passes through St. Louis is a vital transportation corridor. Hence, this busy stretch is prone to accidents. In May 2023, a three-vehicle crash killed one person at Grand Boulevard on I-70.
Yes, this is a busy metropolis that sees a fair share of trucks on the roadways, leading to bottlenecks. That’s why pedestrians and drivers become the victims of trucking accidents under various unfortunate circumstances. According to TorHoerman Law, these accidents occur due to the following reasons:
- Bad road conditions and unfamiliarity with the roadways
- Aggressive driving, distracted driving, and driver fatigue
- Defective mechanics in the truck due to improper maintenance
- Sudden brake problems and failures
- Congestion due to flow interruptions in traffic
- Drug use, overspeeding, and inadequate surveillance
What Can You Do After Getting Into a Truck Accident in St. Louis?
In St. Louis, the most common types of truck accidents are rear ends, jackknifes, rollovers, tire blowouts, T-bone collisions, etc. That means anyone driving on the roadways can be involved in such truck accidents.
For example, in September 2023, an Amazon delivery tractor-trailer crashed and injured passengers in two cars. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. A few months before this, a crash involving a U-Haul truck hospitalized two people and claimed the life of one.
If you were involved in such a truck accident and it wasn’t your fault, you can seek legal action. A St. Louis trucking accident lawyer will help you get the compensation for lost income, property damage, and suffering that you’re entitled to.
However, you’ll first need to mitigate injuries by visiting a doctor and gathering evidence from the accident scene. Only then can an attorney help you determine liability by assessing the damages caused by the accident.
Once reviewed, your lawyer will present the case in court and negotiate the best compensation for your injuries. The individual payouts can range between USD 20,000 and USD 100,000.
In conclusion, due to someone else’s fault, innocent residents get injured. These injuries include broken bones, spinal cord damage, internal bleeding, scarring, burns, etc. To avoid these accidents, you should obey traffic rules, know the road conditions, stay away from a truck’s blind spot, and avoid overspeeding.
