Top 6 Causes of Truck Accidents from A Truck Accident Attorney

If you’ve travelled the nation’s highways and interstates lately, you know how crowded they are getting. This overcrowding has of course led to an increase in the number of accidents that occur on them. While trucking companies take their drivers’ safety seriously, the latest statistics show that an enormous number of truck crashes are still occurring. If you listen to news reports on the subject, most of them are about the role of driver fatigue in these accidents. However, there are many other reasons for the high number of crashes that take place.
For every 20 drivers who work in over the road trucking, one will statistically be involved in a truck accident. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported in 2006 that every year 141,000 trucks crash. Out of these incidents, truck driver fault was behind 77,000 of them. And, that fault may not come from the directions you’re expecting.
The top six causes of truck accidents may be largely the result of driver error, but aggressive driving behavior isn’t at the top of the list. In fact, it doesn’t even enter the top six. Here are the top six causes:

1. 26% The Use of Prescription Drugs
2. 23% Excessive Speed
3. 22% Unfamiliar With Roadway
4. 18% The Use of Over-the-counter Drugs
5. 14% Surveillance Inadequacy
6. 13% Driver Fatigue

Truck driver training as undergone constant improvements, but there may not be as much education as is needed about the use of medications for drivers. Trucking companies and truck driving schools do try to provide some education about the issue, but their effort is a three-minute video about the issue. And by looking at the crash statistics, it isn’t hard to see that the video isn’t working.
New truck drivers may not fully grasp how important it is to be careful of medications because of their effects on their own driving responses. By updating safety materials often and holding regular safety meetings, these companies can create more effective training for their drivers. Keeping this medication information firmly in mind every day is one of the most effective ways to cut down on accidents. If this information is continually given to drivers, it may make a significant difference. When it comes to many medications, people with truck driving jobs may not be able to take them and stay safe on the road.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident, seek assistance from an experienced NY truck accident attorney like Lever and Stolzenberg.



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