I’ve been in a car accident before, and it’s scary. Knowing common truck accidents is important for all vehicle drivers. Where massive commercial trucks and passenger vehicles share the road, it’s easy to forget the size difference. It turns out that common truck crashes have several leading causes.
Being involved in a truck crash can be devastating. Let’s explore common causes of truck accidents, from driver error to external factors.
Table of Contents:
- Common Causes of Truck Accidents
- Driver Fatigue: The Ticking Time Bomb
- Distracted Driving: A Momentary Lapse, Lasting Consequences
- Poor Truck Maintenance: A Recipe for Disaster
- Speeding and Reckless Driving: Deadly Choices
- Driving Under the Influence: Never an Option
- Hazardous Weather: Nature’s Wrath on the Roads
- Overloaded Trucks and Improper Cargo Securement
- Blind Spots: An Invisible Danger
- Inexperience: The Rookie Factor
- Conclusion
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Driver Fatigue: The Ticking Time Bomb
Imagine driving for 11 hours straight. That’s the reality for some truck drivers. Federal motor carrier safety regulations exist, but sometimes drivers break these hours-of-service rules. Driver fatigue is a leading cause of truck accidents, mainly due to a tired driver’s reaction time being severely impacted.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving might involve texting, talking on the phone/radio, checking a map/gps, or adjusting the radio. Even a quick distraction can cause a large truck crash. One study highlighted how driver inattention and distraction are key factors in crashes involving large trucks.
Poor Truck Maintenance
Trucks require regular upkeep. Poor truck maintenance is a major factor in accidents. This could be anything from worn tires to brake problems.
Speeding and Reckless Driving
Trucks take longer to slow down than cars due to their size. Speeding dramatically increases the likelihood and severity of a truck accident. This is a critical event when analyzing causation studies for commercial truck accidents.
Driving Under the Influence
Just like with cars, operating a truck under the influence is incredibly dangerous. Many studies and statistics prove this to be accurate, but one NHTSA study specifically showed a link between impairment and increased accident risk.
The effects of driving under the influence are multiplied with larger vehicles. In addition to alcohol, illegal drugs also impair a driver’s abilities and endanger everyone around large trucks.
Hazardous Weather: Nature’s Wrath on the Roads
Rain, fog, sudden natural disasters, or thunderstorms make driving more challenging for any size vehicle. These conditions are even more dangerous for trucks and can make an accident more likely. Even poor road conditions increase risks, especially for large truck crashes.
Overloaded Trucks and Improper Cargo Securement
An overloaded truck is unstable. If cargo isn’t secured correctly, the risk of an accident increases. Shifting cargo can cause imbalanced handling, quickly leading to a rollover accident. Proper cargo securement is a common cause of truck crashes.
Blind Spots
Trucks have more prominent blind spots than cars. If truck drivers do not check their mirrors thoroughly before changing lanes or turning, they might hit a nearby vehicle. Many truck crashes result from drivers unknowingly lingering in blind spots or trucks changing lanes suddenly. Passenger vehicle drivers must also be alert to avoid common truck accidents like ones caused by commercial truck blind spots.
Inexperience: The Rookie Factor
Getting a commercial driver’s license requires specialized training and experience. Some motor carriers hire poorly trained drivers, leading to increased vehicle crashes. Inexperienced drivers involved can make risky mistakes, most often unknowingly. Drivers unfamiliar with a route are at a significantly higher risk.
| Common Truck Accident Cause | Prevention Measures |
| Driver Fatigue | Enforce stricter regulations, promote rest breaks, monitor driver hours. |
| Distracted Driving | Promote hands-free devices and in-cab tech restrictions. |
| Poor Maintenance | Regular vehicle checkups and inspections of vehicle systems. |
| Speeding | Stiffer speed limit enforcement with penalties and monitoring. |
| DUI | Pre and post-trip drug and alcohol tests. |
| Hazardous Weather | Driver training in adverse weather safety, pulling over when conditions are dangerous. |
| Overloaded Trucks | Fines for improper and overloaded cargo securement with regular checks. |
| Blind Spots | Raising trucker awareness and adding advanced safety technology. |
| Inexperience | Improved training programs with comprehensive road safety knowledge tests for commercial truck drivers. Motor carriers should invest in comprehensive loss control programs for improved truck safety and the safety of passenger vehicle drivers. |
| Tire Blowout | Regular tire maintenance checks for proper inflation. |
| Brake Failure | Thorough brake inspections during routine maintenance checks for all large trucks. |
| Cargo Shift | Enforce regulations on the proper securing and weight distribution of cargo to prevent dangerous travel lane deviations during transit. |
Truck Accident Claims
When determining fault in truck accident claims, it’s crucial to investigate all possible causes whether controllable or not rather than jumping to conclusions. Determining crash causation is a complex undertaking, sometimes involving multiple critical events. If you’re a trucking company owner concerned about increasing accident frequency involving large trucks, an accident lawyer experienced in analyzing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s extensive truck crash causation data may be an excellent resource for enhancing safety measures, minimizing loss, and providing better legal guidance.
Conclusion
These common truck accidents range from poor weather and maintenance to driver negligence. By understanding the factors contributing to most truck accidents, we can work as passenger drivers toward preventing them. Raising awareness, education, and accountability can save lives and prevent injuries. Other external factors can lead to truck accidents and personal injury, like sudden mechanical failures and a driver having a seizure or heart attack. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration collects this type of motor vehicle crash data to improve truck and passenger vehicle driver safety. Getting help from a personal injury attorney after a commercial truck accident or other incidents involving large trucks is helpful and essential for making a proper claim. By addressing and being aware of all aspects, from driver error and vehicle design issues to traffic signaling malfunctions and poor road conditions, we can create safer roadways and reduce personal injuries caused by trucking accidents.