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6 Reasons Why Commercial Truck Accidents are on the Rise

Truck driving is a dangerous job, with truck drivers suffering severe injuries and fatalities at alarming rates. The safety of commercial truck drivers has been a major concern among many policymakers and lawmakers in recent years, but improvements still need to be made. Many factors have contributed to the rise in commercial truck accidents. Some of the most common include:

1 Poor maintenance of the trucks and roads

commercial truck accidents

Commercial trucks require regular maintenance checks to ensure safety and efficiency on the roadways. Drivers who fail to perform these checks may unknowingly be putting themselves and other motorists at risk when they take their vehicles out for a spin to deliver goods or pick up shipments from customers’ businesses or warehouses.

When tractor-trailers travel over poorly maintained roads and bridges, they can cause severe damage that leads to potholes and cracks in the pavement. This can lead to unsafe driving conditions for all vehicles on the road, not just those driven by commercial truck drivers who may not be paying attention to their surroundings due to the bad conditions of their route.

2 Increased demand for truck drivers

As more trucks are needed to transport goods, there will naturally be an increase in demand for drivers. Unfortunately, this means many drivers may not have enough experience or training to safely operate large trucks on busy roads without putting everyone else at risk.

3 Driver’s fatigue

A tired driver is more likely to make poor driving decisions and have difficulty reacting in an emergency. The NHTSA recommends that drivers take breaks every two hours while on long trips or when they feel fatigued. They also should avoid using cell phones while driving and get enough sleep before driving long distances or taking a trip across several time zones with changing sleep patterns or work schedules.

4 Distracted driving

Distracted driving makes others on the roads to get injured in a commercial truck accident most of the time. The National Safety Council estimates that distracted drivers on the road cause more than 80% of truck crashes. Many drivers simply aren’t paying attention to their surroundings or the road, which can lead to devastating results for everyone on the road.

5 Speeding

Speeding is also a major factor in truck crashes and can lead to serious injury or death. While most commercial vehicles are required to travel at a maximum speed of 55 miles per hour, many drivers choose to speed anyway because they’re in a rush or trying to get ahead of traffic congestion. However, reckless speeding has become so common that it’s now considered normal behavior for many truck drivers traveling long distances on highways or interstates.

6 Following too closely behind other vehicles

Many commercial truck drivers follow too closely behind other vehicles because they want to save time or are not paying attention to what’s happening around them. If another vehicle pulls out into the path of a tractor-trailer or if the driver has to take evasive action due to weather conditions or another vehicle breaking down, it takes longer for them to stop than for smaller cars or vans.

Also, failure to yield right-of-way leads to accidents because many trucks are much larger than other vehicles on the road and take up more space, making it difficult for other drivers to see them coming or get out of their way in time.


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