5 Reasons Why Truck Accidents Happen

As the trucking industry continues to grow, there are more drivers on the road. As a result, many truck drivers often find themselves travelling long distances to meet a deadline. Unfortunately, this means that accidents involving heavy goods vehicles are beginning to rise. Approximately 130,000 people find themselves injured in truck accidents in a 52% increase since 2008. And sadly, around 74% of fatal car accidents involve a large vehicle. 

Truck accidents often end horribly for everyone involved. As a motorist, we try our best to keep our eyes on the road and drive safely. However, this isn’t the same for others, and it can happen for many reasons. Here are five of the most common reasons why truck accidents happen: 

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is one of the most common reasons for accidents, whether you’re a car, motorcyclist or truck driver. It only takes a second for a distracted driver to cause an accident. Unfortunately, there are many ways to become distracted on the road, from eating lunch or looking at a phone. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2019, distracted driving caused 3,142 fatal accidents. Therefore, drivers must be aware of their driving to decrease the number of accidents. 

Fatigue and Stress

The FMCSA is trying their best to clamp down on driving fatigued or stressed. The professionals at the Law Offices of Steers & Associates share that it’s not uncommon for truck drivers to be working behind the wheel on only a few hours of sleep (or sometimes none at all). According to FMCSA regulation on illness and fatigue, drivers should not operate if they are too tired. If a driver is tired or stressed, they are allowed to discontinue any operations. This is due to the number of accidents that have occurred because drivers fall asleep at the wheel, neglecting their tiredness to reach their delivery date. While on the road, drivers should find a rest stop, get 8 hours of sleep, and not drive more than 11 hours.  

Blindspot 

Truck drivers need to be aware of their blind spots in the case of other motorists. Blindspot accidents are another common type of accident, especially for trucks that aren’t often aware of what is happening around them. An accident could occur when a car ventures into its blind spot. Car and truck drivers should be mindful of their surroundings while driving to prevent any accidents. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

Although regulations are often put in place by the FMCSA to ensure that their drivers adhere to traffic safety rules, drugs and alcohol often play a part in accidents involving truck drivers. While not the most common among truck drivers, car motorists account for most of these DUI or DWI accidents.

Lack of Training or experience

Training is an integral part of any job. However, accidents can occur when truckers don’t receive the necessary training or don’t keep up with their training for whatever reason. Many factors play a role in lack of experience, from not knowing how to load a trailer correctly to inexperience handling a truck. Errors on the side of other motorists can also be a factor. 

If you find yourself in a truck accident, you can take action. Get in touch with a truck accident lawyer who may be able to aid you if you choose to make a claim. You can discover a wealth of helpful information on what to do after a truck accident online.