Many people fear driving on America’s freeways because they fear accidents caused by tractor trailer trucks. With their large size and massive load, it is no wonder some people are scared. Let’s take a look at 4 common causes of these auto accidents.
- The most common reason for accidents involving trucks is shocking—it is not fatigue, but rather, drugs—prescription or illegal—that tops the list. Driver impairment caused by taking a medication or an illegal substance and huge trucks loaded with cargo is a lethal combination. Over the counter medications also cause a large percentage of accidents, though not as many as drugs do.
- Speed is next on the list. Many truckers have tight deadlines for transporting their loads, and a slight traffic delay in one city can lead to the need for speed farther down the interstate. Again, considering the incredible size and weight of these trucks, the increased speeds lead to accidents with forces unheard of in regular car accidents.
- Driving on unfamiliar roads or forgetting trucker basics causes many auto accidents. Being on a new road can make for a disastrous trip. Also, though truck drivers are taught to check their blind spots and to carefully look before merging or turning, they can forget.
- Finally comes what people think of as the most common cause of truck accidents: fatigue. Drivers do in fact get very tired with their rigorous schedules and very long monotonous hours on the roads. The very nature of the job and all it entails does cause accidents between tractor trailers and cars.
If you have been involved in an accident with a big rig, then you need an auto accident attorney.
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