MOST COMMON REASONS TRUCK CRASHES OCCUR

Despite truck drivers being anecdotally referred to as some of the safest drivers of the roadways because of the sheer number of hours they must put in to earn their CDL license, in instances in which they are involved in collisions, they tend to be much more catastrophic than one would like to admit. As for why this type of accident causes significant destruction, a lot has to do with a tractor-trailer’s sheer size and overall design.

Some of the most common crashes involving trucks occur because vehicle operators fail to exhibit necessary caution when driving among tractor-trailers. A driver’s lack of expertise in understanding how trucks like these perform, especially in terms of their visual, braking and overall performance, cause drivers to make choices that ultimately are not in their best interest.

Of the different types of wrecks car drivers cause, driving in a truck’s blind spot, such as to the right of a truck when it’s in the midst of making a right turn, ranks high. Additionally, drivers who attempt to change lanes quickly in front of a truck, or make a haphazard merge into traffic, or quickly increase or decrease their speed, are also tactics that are difficult for truck driver to adapt to.

Likewise, drivers who miscalculate the amount of time they have to complete a left turn in front of an upcoming truck usually results in a wreck and ensuing driver or passenger injury. The same goes for failing to remove a disabled vehicle from the roadway or somehow becoming sandwiched between two different ones.

As for the most common reasons that truckers ultimately are responsible for collisions, they have to do with the trucker not having undergone necessary training in proper driving techniques, safe or defensive driving. Additionally, truckers that are compensated better based on getting to their destination at a rate faster than what is possible at the posted speed limit is also a reason truck crashes occur.

Of course there are other factors surrounding trucker negligence that may also cause collisions. These include fatigue, intoxication, drug use and other distractions. If you or a family member has suffered permanent injury or died as a result of their involvement in a wreck, then a Bowling Green, Kentucky, truck crash attorney can provide advice in your particular case.

Source: findlaw.com, “Common causes of truck accidents,” accessed April 21, 2017