Driving a big truck, for example, calls for specialized education and licensure. There are additional restrictions on things like the number of consecutive days they may haul and the number of hours each day they can be on the road. While it is true that these laws and regulations do contribute to a decrease in the number of trucking accidents each year, they do not completely prevent accidents.
How Do Trucking Accidents Happen?
Because commercial vehicles like semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers are involved, truck accidents are categorized differently from ordinary auto accidents. Because of the size of the participating vehicles, these collisions frequently result in far more severe injuries. Speeding, distraction, failure to surrender the right of way, and various forms of impairment were the most frequent causes of fatal collisions.
Typical Reasons for Truck Accidents
Truck accidents may occur anytime, anywhere. Statistics indicate that there are various often occurring causes of a trucking accident, nevertheless. The bulk of truck accidents on our highways are caused by these factors.
Speeding
A tractor-trailer or 18-wheeler needs more time to slow down because of its size. Truckers will need additional time and space to safely slow down or halt if they exceed the stated speed limit. Therefore, trucks that drive too fast increase the chance of an accident for everyone on the road.
Distracted Driving
Anyone who goes behind the wheel of a car should focus exclusively on the road. The only thing that should matter is getting there safely. However, drivers frequently use their cell phones, eat their lunch from the fast-food restaurant they stopped at, or change the radio station to listen to a better song. Having a conversation with your companion or listening to your children argue in the backseat can both contribute to distracted driving. The danger of an accident is increased by anything that diverts the driver’s focus from the road.
Lack of Yield
When a truck driver fails to surrender the right of way, it signifies that the other motorist should have been allowed to go. Failure to yield occurs at stop and yield signs, junctions, traffic lights, left turns, and three-way intersections. No of the size of your vehicle, you must obey the laws of the road. Truck drivers may believe that they have the right of way since they are larger. Many of the most serious and fatal vehicle and truck accidents are the result of failing to yield.
Violent Driving
Schedules for truck drivers are constrained. They must fulfill the “behind the wheels” conditions of their contracts and complete their deliveries on a schedule to get paid. To fill the gap they’ve made in their schedule, a driver who has fallen behind on deliveries may occasionally start to drive recklessly, weaving in and out of traffic. Semi-trucks struggle with this kind of maneuver and might lose control or side-swipe another car. This aggressive driving combined with speeding is a formula for tragedy.
Not Checking for Blind Spots
It’s hard to see all the way around and behind a big rig truck, as you could expect. Due to the obstruction, the driver must take more care and time while monitoring their blind spots in addition to being more aware of their surroundings, especially the cars near them. Drivers can prevent these incidents by using specialized blind-spot mirrors, video cameras, and other blind-spot monitoring devices.
Moving Goods
The load may move throughout the trip if the vehicle is improperly loaded or has too much stuff. Particularly if the cargo moves when the driver is breaking or making a fast curve, this cargo shift might result in the truck driver losing control of the 18-wheeler. Additionally, shifting cargo might make the trailer imbalanced and result in a rollover catastrophe. A negligent driver runs the danger of jackknifing in the middle of the road or colliding with another car.
