The presence of large trucks on the road results in a higher risk of accidents. The size and weight of the vehicles make it harder to stop, and they cause more serious injuries than crashes involving cars.
Both truckers and other drivers are the causes of accidents. Many crashes are preventable, and knowing the main reasons behind accidents helps everyone be more aware.
Accidents initiated by other drivers
Drivers of smaller vehicles are common causes of accidents with large trucks, and one of the main reasons is that they do not understand some of the features of the trucks’ operations, such as they take longer to stop, longer to accelerate and are much heavier than passenger vehicles.
FindLaw points out some of the ways that drivers cause crashes involving trucks:
- Driving in between two large trucks
- Driving in one of a truck’s many large blind spots
- Unsafe or improper passing
- Changing lanes right in front of a truck
- Misjudging a truck’s speed
- Merging improperly
Crashes caused by truck drivers
There are regulations in place that limit the number of hours truck drivers may be on the road and the minimum number of hours that drivers must have between long shifts. However, many truck drivers still drive fatigued or have tight schedules, causing them to speed or drive unsafely. Some drivers also receive inadequate training, which contributes to accidents.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states additional factors involved with many crashes caused by truck operators. These include brake problems, issues with the road, traffic congestion, prescription and over-the-counter drug use, unfamiliarity with the road and inattention.
