Commercial Trucking Accidents
Collectively, semi-trucks travel about 140 billion miles per
year delivering goods in the United
States.
One-third of all U.S.
semi trucks are registered in Florida, Texas and California. Obviously, semi trucks are a necessary
component of the economy, but when trucks are involved in accidents the results
can be catastrophic. Unfortunately,
there has been an increase of nearly 20% in the number of trucking
accidents. In 2012, in Florida,
there were 194 semi trucks involved in fatal crashes, which was trailed only Texas and California.
The Most Common Locations of Commercial
Trucking Accidents
Semi trucks in Florida
are permitted to weigh 80,000 pounds and have lengths of 75 feet.[1] The average car weighs about 4,000 pounds and
are less than 16 feet long. This means
that semi trucks on the highway can be up to 20 times heavier and almost 5
times longer and several times higher.
In a commercial trucking accident in which a car is involved, the
injuries are likely to be life altering.
Additionally, it means that there are certain areas in which trucks are
simply more vulnerable and likely to be involved in an accident.
1.
Bridges pose unique challenges to truck drivers and Florida has many bridges
that accentuate these challenges. First,
the height of the truck can make it vulnerable to wind gusts which can actually
blow the truck over. Secondly, bridges
usually do not offer anywhere to escape in the event the accident can be
anticipated by the trucker or other drivers.
The video below shows just how vulnerable a truck can be to wind on a
bridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x12YNhqNHg8
2.
On and off ramps on the highway pose special dangers
because cars are quickly accelerated and decelerating while making sudden lane
changes. These areas challenge a truck
driver’s ability to monitor all of truck’s blind spots.
3.
City streets and the turns which must be made. Because of its sheer length the turning
radius for a truck is much larger that on cars.
This will require that truck drivers make extremely wide turns that
cause accidents if the driver is unaware of this turning radius.
The Most Common Causes of Commercial Trucking
Accidents
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-analysis/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2011 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted a study
which attempted to quantify all causes of trucking accidents.[2] There were more than 112,000 people injured
in trucking accidents in 2011 with nearly 4,000 fatalities. The FMCSA sought to analyze the causes of
trucking accidents and reached some interesting conclusions.
The FMSCA quantified the major causes for the trucking
accidents which it studied and concluded that there were 6 factors that caused
more than 90% of the trucking accidents.
These primary factors are:
1.
Illegal or Prescription Drug Use - In 26% of all trucking accidents the truck driver was found to be under the
influence of prescription or illegal drugs.
Many of the drugs used by truck drivers are to counteract the fatigue
caused by long hours on the road, but these drugs also impair judgment and
reflexes.
2.
Speeding or Driving too Fast for the
Conditions- In 23% of all trucking accidents speed was listed
as the primary factor. Remember, semi
trucks can weigh 80,000 and become much more difficult to stop quickly as their
speed increases. Also, the force with
which they will strike an car will rise exponentially as the speed increases.
3. Not Familiar with the Road - 22% of all semi accidents list the truck driver’s unfamiliarity with the road
being travelled as a factor. Long haul
truckers can travel thousands of miles, all across the country each week, so it
is not surprising that the drivers would be travelling roads with which they
were not familiar.
4. Over the Counter Drugs - 18% of all semi-truck accidents list over the counter drug usage as a cause
of the accident. There are a variety of
over the counter medications that can contribute to trucking accidents. The medications can range from No Doze to
Nyquil.
5.
Failure to Account for Cars in Blind
Spot - 14% of all truck accidents were attributed to a failure
of the driver to properly check blind spots.
This is why it is so important for the drivers of cars to be aware of
the truck’s blind spots and move in and out of the blind spot quickly.
6.
Fatigue - 13% of all
trucking accidents list fatigue as a primary cause. I believe that this number is
understated. The top 5 causes of
trucking accident can each be caused by or influenced by fatigue. Therefore, it
seems likely that fatigue is a greater factor in trucking accidents than
indicated in this study.
Contact
Experienced Accident Attorney at The Law Offices of Bobby Jones
Have you or a loved one been injured in an trucking accident? mailto:hmurphy@bobbyjoneslaw.com Contact an experienced St. Petersburg
personal injury attorney at The Law Offices of Bobby Jones today. When you contact our office we will
immediately set an appointment where you will meet your attorney and be
provided with his/her personal contact information. If you do not have transportation or you
cannot drive, your attorney will travel to meet you and discuss your case with
you in the privacy of your own home.
Whether you were a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or the occupant
of car, motorcycle or boat and have been injured in an accident, you should
immediately call an experienced personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg at The Law Offices of Bobby
Jones at (727) 571-1333 during regular business hours or (727) 753-8657 on
weekends or after regular business hours. We will evaluate your case for free
and you will never pay us a dime unless we recover compensation for your
injuries.
The Law Offices of Bobby Jones
6570 30th
Avenue North
St. Pete,
FL
33710
http://bobbyjoneslaw.com/personal-injury/ http://bobbyjoneslaw.com/personal-injury/
[1] http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/cve/2013TruckingManual.pdf http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/cve/2013TruckingManual.pdf
[2] [1] http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-analysis/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2011http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-analysis/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2011