Causes of Truck Accidents

Trucks pose an especially great danger on our roads becauseof their enormous size and weight. The property damage and serious injuriescaused in motorvehicle accidents are far worse when a truck is involved.

According to the FederalMotor Carrier Safety Administration, over 140,000 accidents a year involvetrucks. More than half of these were the fault of the truck driver.

Truck Driver Error

The vast majority of truckaccidents are caused by truck driver errors.

Driver fatigue is the most common cause of truck accidents.Many truck drivers are forced to log very long hours driving through the nightto meet their deadlines. Often, they do without breaks because they are in atime crunch. This causes many truckers to fall asleep behind the wheel or tosimply lose their focus, which can lead to an accident.

Many truck drivers also abuse prescription drugs on theirshift. Frequently, they are taking these drugs in an attempt to stay awake onlong, grueling shifts. This danger is compounded by the fact that many truckdrivers also drink alcohol while behind the wheel.

Some trucks contain hazardous materials. In thesesituations, the damage caused by an accident is magnified, since the materialsin the truck can potentially cause violent explosions or serious injuries.

While jackknifing seems like an obvious cause of truckaccidents, it actually is rarely a contributing factor to these mishaps. Moreoften than not, the accident is what causes a truck to jackknife. Jackknifingoccurs when a truck begins to skid and the trailer spins out, forming a 90degree angle with the cab. The risk of jackknifing increases when icy roadconditions exist.

Some other causes of truck driver error are:

• Speeding
• Unfamiliarity with the route
• Illegal maneuvers
• Driving a truck without proper training
• Failure to secure heavy loads
• Exceeding maximum capacity with cargo
• Aggressive driving

Other Causes of TruckAccidents

Many truck accidents are not the fault of the truck driver.Frequently, the accident involves an automobile as well, and in many cases, theauto driver is to blame for the collision. Often, car drivers aren’t aware ofthe massive blind spot that exists when driving a truck. Many drivers willmistakenly drive in this region, increasing the likelihood the trucker will notsee the car at all.

There are many other reasons that automobile drivers causecollisions with a truck. Some of them are:

• Cutting off the truck when changing lanes
• Tailgating
• Passing a truck on the wrong side
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Cell phone use while driving
• Poor weather conditions and bad roads

It is important to remember that due to their excessive sizeand weight, trucks take longer to stop and have a more difficult timemaneuvering in difficult situations. Therefore, it is important to leave extraspace when driving near a truck so that you can do your part in avoiding theaccident.