Causes of Large Truck Crashes

Large truck crashes can lead to catastrophic injuries, even death.  With all of the trucks on the road, accidents are bound to happen.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study regarding the causes of large truck crashes. Researchers examined 963 crashes involving 1,123 large trucks and 959 passenger vehicles that occurred between April 2001 and December 2003.  This representative sample was taken from the 120,000 truck crashes that took place during that timeframe.  Most of the large trucks studied in the sample were tractors pulling a single semi-trailer and a small percentage of these trucks were hauling hazardous materials.

Based on the study, there were numerous factors that contributed to large truck accidents.  Researchers documented hundreds of associated factors involved in the truck accidents.  Some of the top factors that contributed to truck crashes included brake problems, traffic flow interruptions, prescription drug use, traveling too fast for conditions, unfamiliarity with the roads, roadway problems, traffic control devices, over-the-counter drug use, inadequate surveillance and driver fatigue.

Critical events were also studied, which are defined as actions or events that made the accident unavoidable.  Three types of critical events were identified including running out of travel lane, loss of vehicle control and rear end collision with another vehicle in the truck’s lane.

Other studies have been done, which revealed that driver fatigue was a major contributing factor in truck crashes.  A tired truck driver is a hazard to the other vehicles on the road and has the potential to cause a serious truck accident.  Drivers frequently drive for several hours without rest, as they try to meet strict deadlines.

If you or a family member has been injured in a tractor trailer accident, you need to seek legal advice immediately.  Contact the experienced Virginia truck accident attorneys at Dulaney, Lauer & Thomas, LLP at (800) 741-1012 for Culpeper or (888) 907-2631 for Warrenton today.

The article, Study Examines Causes of Large Truck Accidents, has more information on this subject.