The Leading Causes of Trucking Accidents
The latest information on trucking accident causes in the United States.
When there is a trucking accident, the probability of injury and even death rises because of the sheer size of the truck and most automobiles on the road. A United States Department of Transportation study shows that either driver error or equipment problems are involved in most accidents, but there are many reasons for accidents and many times there are multiple reasons an accident could happen. Attorneys like Jason A. Waechter and his law firm believe trucking companies should be held responsible when they are at fault in an accident.
Because of the complexity involved in commercial big rig accidents, people need an experienced truck accident lawyer to help sort out the details and make sure a fair settlement is reached or if needed, prosecute the civil case in trial to a significant jury verdict. You can be certain trucking companies and insurance carriers will have a team of lawyers on their side.
Big trucks make up eight percent of the total vehicles on the road, the DOT says, but 11 percent of the deaths on the highways are the result of a truck accident. In 2014 the Dept. of Transportation said 3,660 people were killed as the result of a truck accident. From 1996 through 2000, there were about 5,000 per year, and the numbers have gone up and down since then, but since 2010 the numbers have held constant.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's truck accident causation study, several things are involved in trucking accidents. Certain risk elements are present in accidents, and they raise the risk of an accident. It is up to law enforcement to determine what the final cause was, based on all of the factors present that led to the accident. In all accidents, there are critical events, and then there are critical or key reasons, and all of those are influenced by the factors that were present at the time.
- Critical events, which is an event that makes an accident unavoidable. The three major critical events cited in a truck accident include the truck running out of its lane or off the road (32 percent); loss of control due to going too fast or road conditions (29 percent); Colliding into the rear of another vehicle (22 percent.)
- Critical reasons are the immediate reason for the critical event. Most of the time this involves driver performance (87 percent), and can be things like fatigue, not recognizing the conditions, bad decisions and distraction. The vehicle itself, and environment make up the remainder. Health issues like a seizure or reaction to medication can also be factors. These may not be the cause, as they can exist and not accident occur, but these are the things that make critical events become accidents.
- Associated factors, which are all the variables that could contribute to the first two. This can be things like brake problems, traffic flow issues, problems, unfamiliar with the roadway as well as legal drug use.
All of these things are contributing factors when trucking accidents happen. Sometimes it is the smaller automobile that is at fault, and other times it is the truck drivers fault.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's truck accident causation study, here are the top 10 major causes of trucking accidents on American roads.
- Vehicle: brake problems
- Driver: going too fast for conditions
- Driver: unfamiliar with roadway
- Environment: problem with roadway
- Driver: legal or prescription drugs
- Driver: failure to recognize risk
- Driver: fatigue
- Driver: under pressure from carrier
- Driver: illegal traffic maneuver
- Driver: Inattention or distraction
Many of these relate to driver error as being a cause of a trucking accident, whether that be the truck driver or an automobile driver. Alcohol and illegal drugs make up a significant number of reasons for deaths in automobile accidents each year, but that does not seem to be a leading factor when it comes to large trucks on the roadways. The statistics show a low level of this among large trucks that are involved in accidents, but fatigue and even legal prescription drugs can be a factor at times.
Eight of the top 10 reasons that a trucking accident happens involve the driver, and often fatigue is a contributing factor to other errors a driver might make on the highway.
Drivers are paid by the mile, and are therefore given an incentive - if not pressure - to stay out on the road as much as possible. That can lead to fatigue and that can make a driver have poor judgment or reaction time. Companies are also trying to cut costs to increase profits, and may cut back on maintenance that can also contribute to an accident. Weather conditions to contribute at times as well, but do not seem to be a significant cause in most reports.
