Truck accidents account for less than five percent of all auto accidents, but around nine percent of all auto accident fatalities. Proportionately speaking, this makes truck accidents one of the most deadly types of motor vehicle accidents that people can get involved in. But what leads to truck accidents happening in the first place?

  1. Exhaustion
    • More than any other type of auto accident, truck accidents tend to involve drivers who are physically and mentally exhausted. This is due to truck drivers often being forced to drive long hours without rest, in order to make delivery dates for their shipments. The longer they drive, the more likely they are to make a serious mistake that can lead to an accident.
  2. Reckless driving
    • The pressure that many drivers feel to meet their tight deadlines also leads them to sometimes drive more recklessly than they should. They may go well above the speed limit to save time, make turns where it is not legal for them to do so, or ignore stop signs or traffic lights if they think they can get away with it. When they do this, however, they place pedestrians and other vehicles at an increased risk of an accident.
  3. Poor maintenance
    • Truck accidents are also often caused by poorly maintained vehicles. Trucks are often put under heavy stress due to the cargo they carry, increasing the amount of wear they suffer. If appropriate maintenance is not done on a regular basis, it can cause significant damage to a truck’s mechanical parts, negatively impacting the vehicle’s performance and increasing the risk of a catastrophic mechanical failure, which can lead to an accident.
  4. Bad weather or road conditions
    • While not everyone has the choice about whether to drive on bad roads or during bad weather, this is especially true for truck drivers. They need to make their deliveries regardless of the condition of the weather or roads, and that leads them to drive when it would be better to stay put. This, in turn, makes it much more likely that they will get into accidents that they might otherwise avoid.
  5. Distracted driving
    • Finally, there are constant distractions that truck drivers experience that can lead to increased truck accidents. These include common distractions like cell phones, text messages, programming the GPS, or even changing the radio. However, truck drivers also need to deal with messages from their dispatchers and other drivers, which can act as distractions that keep them from noticing potential hazards until they are too late to avoid, causing accidents.

 

If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, you should contact the Tennessee personal injury lawyers at the Keith Williams Law Group. With convenient offices located in Nashville and Lebanon, our lawyers will work with you to create a litigation strategy that protects your legal rights and serves your personal needs. For more information or a free consultation, please contact us at 615-444-2900 or visit our contact page.