According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, accidents involving large trucks claimed at least 5,000 lives and injured 130,000 others. In the United States more than 500,000 truck accidents occur every year. In fact, one out of every eight traffic deaths involves truck collisions. This article discusses why truck accident statistics are quite high in the United States and the common causes of these accidents.
Business companies, large organizations and government agencies rely heavily on commercial trucks for cargo transportation. Such a truck can have at least 75 lengths and weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When a truck of this size and weight is involved in an accident, the results are generally devastating and disastrous. In addition, trucks carrying hazardous or volatile materials can increase the accident.
What are the common causes of truck accidents?
o Driver Fatigue
o Drivers without a license
o Speed
o Comply with Safety Procedures
o Failure to comply with motor vehicle inspections
o Repair & Maintenance Failures
o Vehicle collisions
o Failure to Generate Road Rights
o 18 Wheeler accident
o Loading the Weight of That Shift
o DUI or Driving Under the Influence of / DWI or Driving When Drunk dump truck hino
o Rollover trucks
o Mechanical or Brake Failure
o Decreasing Tires
o Transports by Trailer
o Overloaded trucks or trailers
o Backing up / Moving back
It has been observed that more than 75 percent of all truck accidents are mainly caused not by truck drivers but by negligence of drivers in smaller cars. In addition, the negligence of truck drivers is mainly caused by stress and fatigue, the inability of the driver to maneuver and brake quickly and limited vision on the road.
What I want to focus on is the issue of stress and fatigue of truck drivers as a common cause of why trucks are involved in accidents. According to data collected by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and General Estimates System (GES), 8.15 percent of all truck-related accidents are caused by driver fatigue.
Truck driver fatigue is defined as the feeling of fatigue, drowsiness, or fatigue the driver feels when driving. Truck drivers have very long working hours, tight schedules, and unrealistic deadlines. In general, we can blame the policies of large companies about why driver fatigue is a common cause of truck-related accidents. In an effort to meet the tight deadlines and tight schedules of these companies, truck drivers often curb many road safety rules, such as exceeding speed limits.
Truck accidents claimed many innocent lives in the US. While the results may be devastating, one way to end this vicious cycle is the strict application of trucking laws. If you are a victim or family member of a truck accident, you can recover injuries and property damage if you prove that the truck driver was negligent while driving. Getting a good truck accident lawyer is the key to building a strong case against the driver, the company he works for or the truck manufacturer.
Comments