When a trucker takes to the road he or she does not do so with the idea of causing an accident. Even so, truck accidents continue to be a major problem throughout the United States.
As the driver of a passenger vehicle, it’s up to you to do whatever you can to avoid trouble on the road. While it’s not always possible, keeping a safe distance between your vehicle and commercial trucks is one of the best things you can do.
Here are some of the most common causes of truck accidents:
- Inadequate training. This typically falls back on the trucking company, as it’s their responsibility to provide drivers with training in regard to defensive driving, how to handle their vehicle, loading, maintenance, safety techniques and much more.
- Reckless driving. There are many forms of reckless driving, such as speeding, swerving, failure to yield and neglecting to use turn signals.
- Unrealistic schedules. When a trucking company sets an unrealistic schedule it can lead to a situation in which a trucker feels compelled to drive too fast or spend too many consecutive hours on the road.
- Distracted driving. A major problem among all drivers, any distraction can cause an accident. Common distractions include texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking and adjusting GPS systems.
- Drowsy driving. Truckers spend many hours on the road, often leading to fatigue. If a driver pushes forward when he or she should be sleeping, it increases the chance of an accident.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Any form of alcohol, illegal drugs or even prescription drugs may increase the likelihood of an accident.
Truck drivers hope to reach their destination without incident, but this doesn’t always happen. One mistake is all it takes to involve one or more passenger vehicles in a crash.
If you are part of an accident with a commercial truck, call 911 and wait for help to arrive.
Once you receive treatment, follow up with your insurance company to learn more about the next steps to take. Along with this, you need to protect your legal rights in the event that the trucker was the one responsible for the accident.
