Trucks are an important part of the country’s economy. They carry goods to retailers from manufacturers. They also carry goods from retailers to customers. The more trucks you see on the roads, the better the economy is. As the volume of trucks increases, so does the number of accidents. So, what are the common causes of truck accidents?
Believe it or not, there are truck drivers on the roads today who do not have adequate training. This does not mean they are operating a commercial vehicle without a commercial driver’s license (CDL), but it is close. Inadequate training includes not having enough defensive driving training, safety concerns and training involving driving technique.
Another common cause of truck accidents is driver fatigue. Truck drivers are assigned long trips quite often and if they don’t get enough rest during the trip, they become fatigued. Driver fatigue can lead to falling asleep behind the wheel or making the wrong decisions when faced with adverse situations on the road.
Distracted driving does not happen only in cars and SUVs. Truck drivers could also be distracted while operating their commercial vehicles. Cellphones can be used anywhere these days and in a truck is not uncommon. Truck drivers who text or talk while driving could find themselves in the middle of a severe accident. Distracted driving does not just include handheld devices either. Drivers who eat, shave, apply makeup, read the paper or change the radio stations while driving can also find themselves involved in trucking accidents.
Speed is a very common cause of truck accidents in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. With so many long stretches of roads without turns or much to look at, drivers can forget their speed and accelerate quite easily. Trucks do not have the ability to slow down at a moment’s notice, which means speed can be a big factor in many crashes.
The way a truck is loaded can also be a cause of an accident. Oversize loads and uneven loads can cause a truck to clip another vehicle or to rollover when making a turn.
These are just some of the common causes of truck accidents in the Lehigh Valley. There are plenty of other causes, including drivers being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Source: Findlaw, “Common Causes of Truck Accidents,” accessed Feb. 24, 2017