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Email UsTruck accidents can be scary, especially if passenger vehicles are involved. This size difference can lead to serious injuries or even death. In fact, approximately 475,000 semi trucks are involved in accidents in the United States every year. Of these, 140,000 lead to injuries and 5,000 people are killed.
To prevent these accidents, it is important to understand how they occur. While distracted driving and intoxication are common among all drivers, there are some important but lesser-known trends that explain the reasons for certain truck accidents.
Most Truck Accidents Are Caused by Drivers of Passenger Vehicles
There is a misconception that truck drivers are unskilled, aggressive and always in a hurry. While these traits may apply to some truck drivers, this is not the norm. In fact, in many semi truck drivers are safe drivers, but there are many reasons why even safe drivers can be involved in the most serious of accidents. Driving in blind spots, distracted driving, speeding and other human errors accounted for these crashes. Some semi truck drivers are ordered to drive under less than optimal conditions, and are not as well rested as they should be.
Rear-End and Head-on Crashes are Common
Rear-end accidents and head-on crashes each accounted for 29% of semi truck collisions. This means several things. First, drivers can be distracted or fatigued and crossing the double-yellow line when they shouldn’t be. Perhaps they are trying to pass a slower vehicle and are unsuccessful.
In regards to rear-end accidents, the vehicle in the rear is almost always at fault. In regards to rear-end accidents, the vehicle in the rear is almost always at fault. Semi trucks cannot stop as quickly as other vehicles and this often causes crashes if not enough safe following distance is being used.
Thursdays are the Deadliest Day for Semi Truck Drivers
Semi truck drivers are most likely to be involved in fatal crashes on Thursdays, followed by Fridays. The reasoning for this is because by the end of the workweek, fatigue starts to set in. After logging so many miles, drivers are not as fresh as they were on Monday, when they had the weekend to rest. They are more likely to make errors, and unfortunately, these mistakes tend to be deadly. Therefore, if you want to avoid being a casualty of a semi truck accident, you may want to extra cautious when sharing the highway with a semi truck near the end of the week.
Taking Legal Action
While statistics show that truck accidents can be caused by both the truck driver and the drivers of passenger vehicles, that does not mean the truck driver is always innocent. It is not uncommon for truck drivers to suffer fatigue and engage in inappropriate behavior that can cause serious accidents.
If you were involved in a truck accident, don’t handle the situation on your own. These cases are highly complex and time is of the essence. Don’t delay – contact the Vineland, NJ law firm of Rosner Law Offices, P.C. today. Schedule a free consultation by calling (856) 502-1655.