Millions of people take to the roadways each day in this country. They take to interstate highways, county roads, and city streets. They go to work, to school, to shopping centers, to run errands and to travel. Although driving is an integral part of most American’s lives, it can be likened to a spin of the roulette wheel in that people who travel in a vehicle each day have a one in a million chance of being killed in a collision. Offering this statistic to the casual reader is not meant to be offensive or morbid, but, instead, it is a reality that may force drivers to be more alert and cautious in their driving decisions.
Vehicle crashes between semi trucks and cars, SUVs, or light trucks are the most likely to result in death. An average of 5000 deaths and 130,000 injuries occur from semi truck accidents. The annual figures translate into an average of one semi truck death per every three days in each state across the country. Obviously those figures are estimates – and at one time or another there are more likely to be multiple deaths resulting from a single semi truck accident. For instance, just last month 4 deaths were attributed to a single case of a distracted semi truck driver in a neighboring state. The circumstances of the case were simple. The driver did not notice that traffic was at a standstill until he had plowed over 5 cars.
Consider the following information about big rigs. Semi trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded and take up to five to seven football field lengths to accelerate to a full highway speed and the same length to come to a complete stop. It is also common to see a sticker displayed on semi trucks stating that if ‘you cannot see the driver from certain vantage points then he cannot see you either”. Therefore proceed with caution. Now, semi trucks are equipped with multiple mirrors to help ensure they minimize blind spots but this cannot totally be discounted.
When one takes the weight and size of these trucks into account as well as even the minor safety flaw of occasional blind spots it is not difficult to comprehend that one potential scenario for accidents can happen when passing semis on the highway or cutting back into the lane too quickly.
Another circumstance that may possibly lead to an accident is poorly maintained rigs. Drivers are trained to do a ‘walk-around’ of the vehicle each time they intend to drive. This visual inspection allows them to look for such things as bald tires, broken lights, loose connections and other safety hazards – which should be addressed before beginning a long, over-the-road haul. While any safety oversight can be dangerous, semi truck tires that blow while drivers are on the highway are particularly perilous because flying tire tread can damage or even blind neighboring vehicles.
Another type of deadly accident can occur when semi trucks lack the adequate safeguards on the rear of the rig to prevent vehicles that are traveling behind them to suffer from what is termed as ‘underriding’. This occurs when a semi truck stops suddenly and a car, light truck or SUV cannot stop in time but instead plows into and under the rear of the semi truck. Typically the top of the car is sheared off and the driver and passengers are all killed. Nearly 1,000 people die in this type of accident annually. The best defense for avoiding a rear end collision is to travel a safe distance behind
Up to one third of semi truck accidents can be attributed to driver error. The most typical problems include ingesting illegal substances (including drugs and alcohol) either before getting behind the wheel of the vehicle or while in the act of driving himself, distracted driving, driving while fatigued, speeding or otherwise driving too fast for the road conditions, and failing to stay within the boundaries of one lane. Let’s consider each of these dangers separately.
Drinking and driving has been a particular blight on American sensibilities for years – but until twenty years ago it was more or less accepted until one mother lost her child to it and created the organization – Mothers Against Drunk Driving – and ensured drunk driving was thought of as particularly heinous in the national consciousness. Unfortunately – even with all the national press on the topic – statistics show that there has been little change in the number of deaths attributed to drunk driving. If you suspect a semi truck driver of impaired driving contact the highway patrol immediately.
At the same time any number of things can lead to distracted driving by semi truck drivers because long haul driving is monotonous and drivers need something to help them stay focused. Music, videos and other technologies now ease the boredom for truckers but at the same time divide the driver’s attention and increase the odds of an accident. Too, it’s not uncommon for truckers to push themselves and continue driving even when fatigued or drowsy. Today, many states and companies impose restrictions on the number of hours a trucker can drive before he must take a break but there are ways around this. Moreover, a combination of incentives and penalties are often dangled in front of semi truck drivers that encourage them to skirt the required break time and stay on the roads.
Yet another common concern with truckers is weaving between the lanes and this can be attributed to a number of reasons. As noted earlier, the driver may be alcohol or drug impaired, distracted from any number of causes, drowsy or fatigued. If driving across lanes isn’t bad enough often times when the driver realizes his mistake he over corrects which can lead to deadly consequences like a jackknife accident.
As you go about your driving you should always remain alert for erratic driving by semi truck drivers (and other drivers as well for that matter) and notify the proper authorities.
Author Resource:
Greg Baumgartner is a " target="_blank">http://www.texastriallawyers.com"> Texas truck accident lawyer and the founder or the Baumgartner Firm a "> Houston personal injury law firm with a proven track record of success in handling high profile Texas 18 wheeler accidents.
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