Tractor-trailer trucks pose a significant danger to smaller vehicles on the road because of their massive size. When a truck driver makes a serious error, it can wreak havoc for those smaller passenger cars and trucks around them.
It is estimated that the trucking industry produces approximately 255.5 billion in revenue each year. For Hire and Common Carrier Trucking companies generate an estimated 97.9 billion annually and Private Fleets generate an estimated 121 billion dollars. That’s big business for our economy. With tractor-trailers ever-present on America’s roadways, truck accidents are bound to happen.
As of 2003, the U.S. averaged nearly 7 million motor vehicle accidents annually, causing more than 3.5 million injuries. Of the total motor vehicle accidents, commercial trucks were involved in 2.4% of all car accidents. The United States Department of Transportation estimates that over 500,000 truck acci
dents occur each year, causing nearly 5,000 fatalities. That figure amounts to one person being injured in a truck accident every16 minutes.
Of all 50 U.S. states, the states with the highest accident statistics are Georgia, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and California. Because truck accidents involving passenger vehicles cause serious injuries and death, federal and state legislation has been implemented to regulate the trucking industry. However, accidents still occur and truck drivers still violate such regulations on occasion. What are common causes of truck driver negligence that leads to serious truck accidents?
Truck drivers can abuse both legal and illegal drugs. Truck drivers can get tired; working long shifts on little sleep can lead to truck drivers turning to methamphetamines for extra energy to log more miles. Although truck drivers are supposed to get a required number of hours of rest, they don’t always adhere to federal guidelines and stay up driving for hours on end with little to no rest.
Even prescription medications can have an adverse affect on a truck driver. Many legal over the counter or prescription medications can have dangerous side effects when the driver is operating large machinery. Increased drowsiness, dangerous drug interactions, and negative side effects can cause a truck driver to lose control of their tractor-trailer, subsequently leading to devastating consequences.
Driver fatigue remains a common factor in truck accidents. Truck drivers are supposed to follow strict guidelines on the number of hours they drive, versus the number of hours they rest; however, they do not always follow these guidelines. Under pressure from supervisors to log as many miles in as short of time possible, some truck drivers ignore such guidelines and drive anyways on dangerously low amounts of sleep. Driver fatigue can mimic the symptoms of drunk driving; causing the driver to have blurred vision and dizziness, causing them to misjudge distances, angles and breaking time, not to mention causing the truck driver to fall asleep at the wheel.
Reckless driving is another common cause of truck accidents; speeding, and tailgating or texting while driving are all common causes of truck driver negligence. When a truck driver is overly aggressive towards smaller passenger cars and trucks, one small mistake can have deadly consequences for other people on the road.
A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Improper loading can make the truck difficult to handle once on the road. Overloaded or improperly loaded trucks can cause the truck driver to lose control of the truck while on the road, putting everyone around them in grave danger when something goes seriously wrong.
Truck drivers can be guilty of any negligent or reckless activity that a regular car or truck driver would do. They are not set apart from regular drivers; the only difference is that if they make a mistake, it’s on a much greater magnitude because they can cause so much damage and devastation. Whether they are drunk driving or following too closely, they can cause serious injuries or death to the drivers and passengers of other motor vehicles. If you or a loved one were seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, you should contact a highly experienced personal injury attorney right away. They will know the proper procedures for investigating the cause of the accident and determining if there was drug abuse or other truck driver negligence involved. Don’t wait another moment; contact a personal injury lawyer today!
