Truck accidents are catastrophic, especially when involving an average-sized car and a big truck. There are many reasons and multiple factors that contribute to accidents. Below is a description of common causes of trucking accidents.
Poor Training And Maintenance
There are various requirements and regulations for the number of training hours each driver must undergo to drive commercial vehicles. However, some drivers manage to get on the road without the minimum requirements. Bad weather such as heavy rain, wind, or snow happening everywhere.
Comprehensive training, experience, and proper training enable truck drivers to cope safely, especially when maneuvering large commercial trucks. Truck drivers are advised to drive slower than the posted speed limits in bad weather conditions to prevent jackknifing, hydroplaning, or skidding.
Adequately trained drivers have the experience of managing poor conditions to minimize risks to other motorists. Regular inspection by the trucking company is essential to prevent reactive maintenance costs.
Speed And Overtaking
Pressure to make deliveries in the required time makes drivers over speed. Drivers are more likely to speed if they think their job is at risk if goods are not delivered on time. Drivers have to establish the required safe speed for a truck depending on the size and ensure the road conditions are suitable before overtaking. A long and wide-loaded vehicle, when driven recklessly, leads to accidents.
Trucks are much larger than passenger cars and react slowly to changes in direction and speed due to high momentum, making drivers have minimal control at high speeds. Drivers who drive recklessly are held accountable, and major trucking companies use speed limiters and trackers on all vehicles to curb speeding.
Hours Of Service Violations
Various regulations have been established to keep tired drivers off the road to ensure they remain alert when driving. Eleven hours is the required time permitted for drivers, and a 10-hour break is a must each day. Rules exist to protect drivers on roads and are taught in each day-to-day running of a company.
More than often, trucking companies may require drivers to deliver goods within a short duration of time. Depending on the number of miles, drivers can take several days on the road and fail to get quality sleep. When drivers lose coordination and concentration, they become slower when reacting to road situations and can fall asleep while driving, which increases accident risks.
Equipment Failure
Trucks and part equipment have to be designed and manufactured to function correctly. Recalled and defective parts make trucks more dangerous, resulting in catastrophic accidents. Truck operators and owners have to recognize dangers to prevent accidents from occurring.
ruck drivers who recognize defective parts and broken equipment must report so that the truck is repaired. Owners have to ensure that truck drivers and other road users are not put at risk by sending dangerous trucks on the road.
Improper Cargo Loading
Owners, vendors, truck drivers, and warehouse workers play a specific role in loading and unloading freight. These parties take responsibility for how trucks are secured and loaded. Advancements in technology help improve how cargo loads are distributed, including ensuring that trucks are not imbalanced or overweight.
Poor cargo loading causes the cargo to detach from the truck at high speeds, which causes the vehicle to tip over. The driver is responsible for at least checking the cargo status before embarking on the journey.
Driving Under The Influence
Some regulations have been put in place to prevent truck drivers from consuming alcohol. Driving under the influence is a crime in all states, and no matter the circumstances, extreme consequences follow.
Consider hiring the services of a Houston auto accident attorney when a negligent truck driver causes injuries to another party due to drunk driving. Seek the services of a seasoned lawyer who assists in following legal proceedings on behalf of clients to secure compensation.
People who get injuries caused by a large truck are entitled to compensation by following proper legal channels. Secure medical care first and hire a truck accident attorney to have fair representation.