Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Eighteen-wheelers carry product from one corner of the nation to another. They are invaluable for hauling goods. However, they also pose a risk to passenger vehicles. Due to the vast difference in size, accidents often involve serious injury or death. With the number of vehicles increasing on the highways each year, the number of accidents increases each year as well. What are the common causes of accidents between truck drivers and passenger vehicles?

Many accidents come from common problems that occur on both sides. Reckless driving and speeding causes accidents just about any minute of any day. Weather conditions make driving dangerous at times. Mechanical or equipment failures cause many accidents daily. All of these occur to both passenger vehicle drivers and truck drivers alike. Alcohol and drug use is another common problem. Any intoxication behind the wheel leads to disaster down the road in some form.

For truck drivers, a few things put them apart from the driver of a smaller vehicle. The sheer size and weight of these behemoths require special training and certification. Many drivers do not have these. Drivers need to verify they secure their loads properly. This inspection needs done before heading off and during the trip. The size of the loads should not exceed maximum limits. For tank drivers, their liquid loads pose special problems. If there is not enough liquid in the tank, the contents will slosh around and cause the tank to overturn. Many drivers work by the mile. This gives them incentives to break speed limits. They also drive too many hours without proper breaks or enough rest.

The driver of passenger vehicle causes accidents by assuming an eighteen-wheeler will respond like a car. Semis are much larger and heavier. When a car drives in the blind spot of a truck, the truck driver may hit them since they don't know they are there. Trucks take longer to stop. Do not move in front of a truck too close. If the truck cannot slow down in time, you may get rear-ended. Trucks need more room to make turns. When a truck moves to the left to make a right turn, do not move into their right sides. When a truck is merging lanes, give them room. The air currents coming off their rears cause accidents all the time for unsuspecting drivers. A bit of common sense on both sides would reduce the number of accidents every year.