What Are the Most Common Reasons for Truck Crashes?

Truck accidents are incredibly destructive for victims and their families. When these large vehicles are stocked at maximum capacity, they can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Fully-stocked semis cause unimaginable damage even when travelling at low speeds. If someone is hit by a semi truck, fatal or catastrophic injuries are very likely.It is crucial for commercial carriers and truckers to make public safety a priority. As our truck accident attorneys know from experience, the trucking industry may put profits before public safety. There are many causes of truck accidents, but the following five examples are among the most common.

1. Fatigued driving: There are several reasons why truck drivers may become fatigued and crash their vehicles. Truckers who ignore federal or state hours-of-service rules are much more likely to crash. Health conditions such as sleep apnea and diabetes may also cause fatigue and raise the risk of an accident. Truck drivers taking over-the-counter medications like Benadryl or melatonin (a hormone used as a sleep aide) are also much more likely to fall asleep behind the wheel.
2. Speeding: Truckers driving over the posted speed limits have less room to stop, and are much more likely to tip over while making sharp turns. Speeding makes it more difficult for drivers to avoid obstacles in the road or surprise traffic jams. There are many instances where speeding truckers failed to see traffic stopped ahead and slammed into multiple vehicles.
3. Poor maintenance practices: Commercial carriers and drivers with poor maintenance practices are more likely to crash. For example, failing to maintain tires or airbrakes. Poor tire maintenance raises the risk of blowout accidents. Bad tires make it more difficult for trucks to grip the road, and increases the risk of rollover accidents. Truckers driving with bad air brakes cannot come to a stop while travelling downhill.
4. Loose loads: When truck drivers fail to properly tie down loads, they can shed debris that may hit other drivers. These are often the more “horrific” truck crashes you hear about on the evening news. Large or small objects fall off trucks, bounce off the roadway and into the windshields of other drivers. In the worst-case scenarios, these objects hit and kill motorists.
5. Drugs or alcohol: Truckers under the influence of drugs or alcohol are many times more dangerous than your average impaired driver. This is why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict guidelines on drug and alcohol testing.

Hit by A Semi Truck? You May Have Legal Options

All of these causes have a common theme. They are all preventable. Our law firm has seen from experience how trucking companies put profits before the safety of others. They may be careless during the hiring process, or neglect to perform routine maintenance. In other cases, they may hire unqualified or reckless drivers. It is important for people injured in these accidents to know they may have legal options.The Texas truck accident attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC can help people injured in truck crashes hold negligent commercial carriers accountable.