Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Throughout America, thousands of accidents involving large commercial vehicles occur each year, and these accidents often result in serious injuries and even fatalities. Semi trucks may weigh as much as 30 times more than a regular passenger vehicle, so the passengers in a smaller vehicle are at a much higher risk of injury or death when an accident occurs. However, that doesn't always mean that the driver of the commercial vehicle is at fault. Of course, truck drivers must be completely aware of the dangers that their large, heavy vehicles may present, but it's also the responsibility of every other driver on the road to practice extra caution when sharing the roadway with large trucks. These are just a few of the most common situations that typically lead to an accident involving a commercial truck.

Accidents Caused by Driver Error in Passenger Vehicles

In many cases, the driver of a passenger vehicle unwittingly creates the circumstances that cause an accident with a large truck. This usually occurs when a driver is unaware of the truck's performance abilities. For example, the weight of the truck prevents it from accelerating or braking as quickly as a smaller vehicle, and the driver of the truck has far less visibility because of the size of the vehicle. This means that minor errors on the part of the driver of a passenger vehicle may cause an accident with a large truck, and these are a few of the most common errors.

• Driving in the truck's blind zones
• Changing lanes without signaling properly
• Entering the right lane as a truck prepares to make a right turn
• Making a left turn into the path of an oncoming truck
• Passing without sufficient space
• Pulling into traffic in front of a truck without proper acceleration
• Driving your smaller vehicle between two large trucks
• Inability to move a disabled vehicle completely out of the roadway
• Failure to make room for a truck that is attempting to change lanes or merge into traffic.

Accidents Caused by Truck Drivers

The drivers of semi trucks and other commercial vehicles must be professionally trained and licensed, but there are several factors that may make the driver of a truck responsible for causing an accident. These are a few of the most common factors.

• Inadequate training in terms of driving technique, safety concerns and defensive driving
• Driving at excessive speeds to meet unreasonable delivery schedules
• Driver fatigue from driving too many hours without a break
• Equipment malfunctions such as tire blowouts or brake failure

Stay Safe on the Roadways

Commercial trucks serve a valuable purpose in delivering needed goods across the country, and we must all share the roadways in a safe manner. To learn more about road safety and avoiding accidents with commercial trucks, you should take a moment to check out these valuable tips from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Those who have already been injured in an accident that involved a large commercial vehicle should contact a truck accident lawyer right away.