What Are Some of the Leading Causes of Truck Accidents?

Examining the leading, objective factors known to cause truck accidents is a sobering task. However, the payoff is worth the trouble. Knowing the leading causes of truck accidents is an essential step in prevention. Due to how regularly they occur, and the massive scale of devastation associated with truck accidents, prevention is always worth pursuing.

Before or after someone you know is in a truck accident, a good way to stay informed is to call your Boca Raton Truck Accident Attorney. With years of experience handling truck accident claims and cases, their legal guidance is known to shed light on the many complexities and challenges of trucking safety. Contact them today to arrange a free consultation.

Let’s have a look at the most common factors known to cause truck accidents:

Fatigued Driving

Drowsy driving is known to be deadly. The combination of lengthy shifts, demanding and often unforgiving delivery schedules, and lack of sleep are known to mentally and physically exhaust truck drivers. This fatigue impairs a driver's alertness, reaction time, and decision-making abilities, all of which put truckers and other motorists at risk of injury or death.

Many past studies have linked driver fatigue to dangerous driving at a rate higher than drunk driving. As a counteractive measure, federal regulations restrict the number of hours a truck driver can stay behind the wheel and also mandate a certain amount of rest. Unfortunately, non-compliance occurs regularly, and so these issues continue to persist at alarming rates.

Driving and Distractions

Like other motorists, truck drivers are vulnerable to the dangers of distracted driving. Eating and fidgeting with in-cab technologies are now combined with cellphone-related activities like texting and talking on the phone. This has compounded already existing issues. A few moments of inattention are known to bring about deadly circumstances when it comes to piloting trucks. Attorneys specializing in Truck Accidents can tell you how negligence laws apply and what evidence is needed to prove liability in such cases.

Speeding

Driving over the legal limit is a proven cause of many truck accidents. Due to their weight and mass, trucks need more time and distance when braking and changing lanes. Excessive speeds reduce truck drivers’ abilities to respond to these and other situations. Truck drivers must comply with posted speed limits and drive at appropriate speeds for road conditions.

Poorly Trained Drivers

Every inexperienced or improperly trained truck driver makes the road more dangerous than it has to be. It takes considerable skill to drive a truck safely; and the larger the truck is, the more skilled a driver needs to be. This is why proper training is such an important step for road safety.

Proper training is meant to offset the lack of experience by preparing rookie drivers for the demands of the job. However, inadequate training happens and is known to lead to disastrous mistakes. Bad decision-making, ill-timed and poorly executed maneuvering, and failure to properly process important data are all common problems related to poor training.

Overloaded and Improperly Loaded Trucks

When trucks aren’t loaded correctly, controlling them can become an unpredictable and dangerous challenge. Incorrect loading can turn the usual curves and steep grades into a virtual death trap.

Weight distribution problems can affect a truck's stability, multiplying the risk of rollovers or jackknife accidents, and mechanical failures. Respecting weight limits and obeying cargo loading protocols are actions known to prevent trucking tragedies.

Mechanical Failure

One of the most hazardous events is a mechanical failure. Just a few problems that are known to happen are:

• Brakes become unresponsive
• Tire blowouts
• Steering wheel freeze
• Loss of pressure to fluid lines
• Navigation system failure

Each can cause a minor or major accident. That’s why regular maintenance and inspections are crucial. Maintenance helps to prevent these failures before they happen. Neglecting maintenance can lead to life-threatening situations for truck drivers and other motorists.

Bad Weather

Freight is expected to move in all manner of weather. We depend on drivers to make deliveries in all manner of weather. It’s on them to make the right decisions when the weather affects road conditions. On slippery roads, where there is reduced visibility, or when tire-to-turn traction becomes compromised, one false move can lead to a life-altering tragedy.

Reckless Driving

Aggressive driving has no place on our roads. Tailgating, road rage, and retaliatory driving are all known to lead to truck accidents. Every motorist deserves to move about freely free of the stresses of these hazards. To counteract reckless driving, drivers should remain calm, utilize patience, and exercise avoidance and de-escalation tactics when confronted by agitators.

Driving Under the Influence

Trucking and substance abuse have a long-storied history. Drivers were once encouraged by employers to use amphetamines called No-Doze to stay alert on long shifts. This led to a wave of drug-addicted drivers and caused many on-road incidents. These and other drugs are now banned, and while incidents still occur, prioritizing driver sobriety is now the industry standard.