(Newswire.net — January 8, 2021) — Most trucking accidents are caused by drivers who take unnecessary risks, have really poor judgment, or simply cannot properly react to obstacles and hazards on the road because they drive under the influence. Other drivers may move too fast on the road for the work conditions or fail to inspect the commercial vehicle they are about to operate on a regular basis.
How Bad Is Driver Error?
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), when it comes to big-rig truck drivers, driver error is ten times more likely to be the cause of a truck accident than bad weather, poor road conditions, mechanical failure, and other factors.
FMCSA researchers found that truck driver error is often tied to drug intake, drowsiness, distracted driving, speeding, inexperience, and unknown roads. According to the federal regulator, 44% of truckers behind a crash were on some type of medication. An additional 23% were speeding at the moment of the accident, and 18% were overworked or exhausted.
According to a separate study conducted by a team of researchers in Kansas, even though commercial vehicles represent just 3 percent of all vehicles on the nation’s roads, they are behind more than 10 percent of fatalities. Unfortunately, 96% of those fatalities were people in passenger cars, not truck drivers or truck drivers’ passengers.
The Kansas study also found that truck driver error caused three-quarters of all deadly traffic collisions. Truck drivers were more likely to cause an accident when being distracted behind the wheel or rushing things up when on a tight schedule.
The research team also found that fatal truck accidents are more likely to happen between noon and 3 p.m., even if the weather is fine. The bulk of the deadly crashes involving a large truck occurred on interstate highways and other roads with high-speed limits.
What is more, according to truck accident experts at the Hammack Law Firm (HLF), a personal injury law firm in Greenville, SC, with over two decades of combined experience, the most common mistakes truck drivers make is impaired driving, failure to check blind spots, distracted driving, tailgating, and driving too fast for the weather conditions.
Why Driver Error Causes So Many Crashes?
Poor road conditions and low visibility are just some of the causes of large commercial vehicle crashes, but driver error is the leading cause. By driver error, one can understand many things like:
- Driving too fast for the weather or road conditions. Speeding is also the top cause of truck rollovers.
- Driver fatigue. Under federal rules, truckers are not allowed to drive more than 11 hours without being off duty for at least ten consecutive hours. Their shifts are also capped to 14 hours. Yet, both truckers and carriers tend to break the rules when there are incoming deadlines or a driver shortage.
- Inexperienced Drivers. Inexperience is another major cause of truck accidents since now nearly everyone can take their CDL. Plus, drivers can no longer acquire the necessary experience or be mentored by experienced drivers because of the high turnover in the trucking industry.
- Brake failure. Around one in three truck accidents are caused by brake failure. Truck brakes are usually not in top shape because of the driver’s or the trucking company’s decisions. Missed yearly inspections and improperly adjusted front brakes to save on wear and tear can become a deadly cocktail when the truck is overloaded, the truck driver is impaired, or the road is slippery.
- Drug use. Some prescription medication can impair a driver’s judgment, affect their mental alertness, and cause fatigue.
- Substance abuse. Some truck drivers choose to drive impaired, which can be a disastrous decision when driving a vehicle weighing 80,000 lbs. Some truckers also use drugs to fight drowsiness, but they sacrifice their reflexes and judgment in return.
Although the list could go on, one or several of these factors affect all truck drivers and up their risk of having a serious accident. Driver error is a top cause of truck accidents, a reality trucking companies and truckers tend to ignore.
In Conclusion
Driver error is still the leading cause of truck accidents, according to multiple studies and experts. Many things can be considered driver error, from failure to check blind spots and speeding to driving impaired and failing to perform regular inspections of the vehicle, and with the upcoming influx of new and inexperienced drivers, these errors are bound to get worse.