Did you know that over 4,000 people died in large truck crashes in 2018? If you are new to the truck driving world and are trying to learn more about the most common types of truck accidents, you are in the right place.
Keep reading to learn about the common causes of truck accidents you might encounter while you are out driving.
- Poor Truck Maintenance
One of the most common causes of being in a truck crash is not having the truck in tip top shape. Truck maintenance is extremely important to make sure that you are safe on the road. Beacuse truck maintenance is not cheap unfortunately there are quite a few truck drivers that skimp on maintaining the truck properly which ends up causing accidents that could have been avoided.
- Poor Driver Training
Another common cause of truck accidents is not being properly trained. There are certain minimum requirements in place for those driving huge commercial vehicles. Unfortunately sometimes truck drivers do not adhere to these guidelines and this leads to poorly trained drivers behind the wheel which causes terrible accidents on the road.
- Fatigue
Fatigue is a big cause of truck accidents because many drivers are overworked and not getting enough sleep. There are too many drivers out there driving long distances with too little rest in between their drives.
If you are working for a company that is demanding you to make deliveries in short periods of time, you might find yourself under a lot of pressure to get it done while you sacrifice your sleep. After some time too much fatigue will lead to losing coordination and concentration and end up falling asleep while driving behind the wheel.
- Alcohol and Drug Use
It is sad to say that there have been plenty of truck drivers guilty of using either alcohol or drugs while they are working. We can’t emphasize enough to not drive after you drink and do not drive around with open containers from state to state.
Becoming impaired and getting behind the wheel is a recipe for disaster. It will easily cause accidents and hurt yourself and others while working. Keep in mind that not only illegal drugs will make someone impaired, there are some prescription drugs that can have negative side effects as well.
Make sure that if you have to take certain prescription drugs that can make you tired or dizzy you do not get behind the wheel to drive.
Feeling Like a Truck Accidents Pro?
We hope that now that you know the common causes of truck accidents you are a bit more aware while you are out on the open road. There is nothing more important than to stay safe while you are behind the wheel. Make sure to always be on the lookout for other drivers out on the road.
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