Statistics have revealed that every 15 minutes, at least one person dies or gets seriously injured in accidents involving tractor-trailers. Sadly, 80 percent of accidents happen during the day, especially when the roads are dry and the weather is clear.

The data indicates that driver negligence significantly contributes to the increasing cases of truck accidents. So, what causes truck accidents, and what are ideal solutions?

The main causes of crashes include speeding, drowsy driving, and driving with unbalanced loads. These problems can be avoided or, at least, minimized if all drivers on the road follow safe driving practices. Also, the truck driver, their employers, and other company employees must follow safety guidelines.

Driving Under the Influence

Drunk driving causes almost 33% of truck accidents in the United States, leading to fatal injuries and deaths. A life is lost every 52 minutes due to drunk-driving crashes. Driving under the influence is considered a criminal offense. Alcohol distorts concentration, causes dizziness, and brings on a relaxed mood, impairing driving accuracy and skills.

Lack of concentration, slow reaction time, and impaired thinking can decrease the likelihood of avoiding traffic accidents. While rules and laws are in place to minimize drunk-driving crashes, the ultimate solution is for everyone to take this as a personal responsibility.

If a fellow truck driver gets inebriated while on a mission, you can take the keys and reach out to responsible individuals to cancel any planned trips. You can also alert law enforcers when you notice a truck driver is intoxicated.

Speeding

More than 26% of truck accidents happen because drivers do not respect the NTSA-approved speed limit. Trucks have more weight and longer-standing distance. Even when the shock absorbers, tires, and breaks are working efficiently, the vehicle requires more time to halt. The fact is that trucks are more likely to cause accidents if they are forced to abrupt braking.

In addition, trucks driving at high speeds have a bigger impact and lead to massive collisions after accidents. This not only leads to more vehicle damage but also increases the risk of physical injury for the driver in the other car.

Trucks that are well-conditioned and operated at a slower speed can stop more easily. Besides, even if an accident happens, the impact of collision will be softer. An easy way to minimize truck accidents caused by over-speeding is to respect NTSA-approved speeds.

If you were involved in a truck accident, reach out to a qualified attorney to guide you through the legal proceedings. A Dayton truck accident lawyer can serve you well and help you get compensation for the damages and injuries suffered.

Driving With Unbalanced Loads

The truck’s steadiness on different roads does not entirely depend on the driver’s skills and vehicle condition; the placement of the load inside the trailer also matters a lot. When dock workers are loading an empty trailer, they must do so with utmost skill and care, ensuring the load is well balanced in the truck.

However, while the dockworkers are responsible for placing the load steadily on the trailer, the driver must also check to ensure the load’s stability. Getting behind the wheels of a truck when the load is unbalanced increases the odds of accidents happening.

The riskiest scenarios for a truck driving with an unbalanced load include transitioning between lanes or driving during heavy winds. The driver should always check the load before igniting the truck engine. In fact, it is best to check back on the load a few times during long trips to ensure that everything is up to safety standards.

Vehicle Equipment Failure

Driver assistance tech systems in modern trucks are designed intuitively and efficiently to give drivers more control over the vehicle while minimizing accidents. The advanced driver assisting systems can signal a looming crash. This can give the driver some precious extra time to try and avoid a crash, or brace for impact and minimize the force of the collision.

For instance, a forward-collision system monitors the truck’s speed and compares it with the distance to the vehicle ahead. If the truck driver gets too close to the car in front, the system will signal this intrusion.

The lane departure monitors lane marks and promptly signals the driver when driving the truck off from the designated lane. Other advanced systems include a blind-spot alert system, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and more. If any of these systems get faulty, the risk of accidents increases.

Technology can be a valuable helping hand for truck drivers. However, when these fail, the driver must continue safe driving practices and exercise increased vigilance while on the road. Faulty systems should be reported as soon as possible to the administration.

Failing to Keep a Safe Distance Between Vehicles

Drivers of large trucks need to leave additional space between vehicles on the road. This offers the driver time to bring the truck to a full stop. Also, it ensures enough leeway to react to upcoming danger.

There are a couple of strategies to ensure the proper distance between vehicles. One popular way to maintain a safe distance is the “three-second rule.” This stipulates that the driver should keep a gap equivalent to three seconds between the truck and the front car.

Drowsy Driving

Truck drivers are on the road for long hours, often driving through the night. The work conditions make it likely for drowsiness to set in. Drowsy driving might not sound like a serious offense, but the repercussions can be fatal. The signs of drowsy driving include feeling sleepy, episodes of microsleep, slow reaction time, problems with decision making, and impaired perception.

Truck drivers must respect work hours and take the mandatory rest times. In fact, they should take a short break as soon as they feel drowsiness creep up on them. Drivers can pull over, go out for some fresh air, and stretch.

Say Yes to Safe Driving!

These are well-documented causes of truck accidents and the possible ways to minimize accidents. In case you’ve been involved in a truck-related accident where the driver’s negligence was the cause of the accident, reach out to a lawyer to protect your rights.

Author

Early in his journalism career, Kerry L. Tucker had a revelation: there were not enough experts reporting on law issues. Legal matters are part of daily life. Yet, there seems to be a general aversion towards them. One of the main reasons for this is that the convoluted legal language is difficult for many people to follow. Therefore, he decided to change how the law is perceived by the public. Throughout his career, he met with many people who shared their personal stories with him. Some of these hit him harder. One of the cases that stayed with him and influenced his future career development was a car accident case involving a child. From then on, he decided to zero in on car accident lawsuits.