Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Commercial trucks are substantially larger and heavier than most other vehicles on the road. As a result, accidents involving trucks tend to cause catastrophic injuries and costly financial losses, particularly for those who are in smaller involved vehicles.
There are many safety regulations in place to minimize the risk of a truck accident, but collisions still occur, and they pose a huge threat to Dallas, TX, drivers. Here, truck accident lawyer Hardin R. Ramey discusses some of the most common causes of truck accidents.
Truck Driver Error
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a large truck crash causation study to determine the most common causes of commercial truck accidents. The study examined a sample of 963 crashes that took place between April 2001 and December 2003. Among the accidents studied, drivers were assigned as the critical reason behind the crash in 87 percent of cases.
The study further broke down the four major ways in which drivers caused large truck crashes:
- Driver decision - Data showed that around 38 percent of truck crashes were caused by driver decisions, such as following other vehicles too closely, misjudging the speed of other vehicles, or driving too fast for road conditions.
- Driver recognition - 28 percent of crashes were linked to driver recognition, or rather a lack of recognition. These accidents were the result of a driver’s failure to pay proper attention to the task of driving, either because they were using a cell phone or were distracted by other factors.
- Driver non-performance - Approximately 9,000 large truck crashes, or 12 percent of those studied, were caused by driver non-performance, which means the driver either fell asleep or was disabled by a medical emergency or some type of physical impairment.
- Driver performance - Driver performance was linked to nine percent of large truck crashes. The study defines driver performance as exercising poor directional control, either as a result of inexperience, panic, or overcompensation.
Vehicle Malfunctions
Though far less common than driver errors, vehicles were identified as the critical reason for a crash in 10 percent of cases. There are a wide range of vehicle issues that can lead to a car accident, including:
- Brake problems
- Tire problems
- Steering issues
- Cargo shifting
Vehicle malfunctions such as these may be caused by defective parts, or by insufficient vehicle maintenance. Dallas injury victims who are involved in crashes caused by vehicle malfunctions can work with Hardin R. Ramey to determine why a malfunction occurred, so that liable parties can be held accountable.
Environmental Factors
In a small number of studied crashes - just three percent - the environment was found to be the critical reason for a large truck crash. Environmental factors that may cause a truck crash include rain, wet/slick roads, fog, snow, and poor road conditions, i.e., potholes, insufficient guardrails, lack of traffic signs, etc.
Get in Touch
Determining the cause of a truck accident is vital, because it allows crash victims to hold liable parties accountable for resulting damages. If you have been injured in a truck accident, Hardin R. Ramey and his team can gather the evidence necessary to prove fault for the collision so that you can pursue the compensation you are due. To schedule a consultation, send us a message online or call our Dallas law firm at (972) 437-5577.