Tractor trailers are involved in nearly 11,000 accidents in Florida each year, causing over 5,000 injuries and 324 fatalities. Accidents involving semi-trucks can cause:
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
- Disfigurement
- Neck injuries
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Other injuries
As a tractor trailer accidents lawyer, we know how life-changing an accident with a vehicle that weighs as much as 80,000 pounds can be. If you or a loved one are in an accident with a trucker, working with an attorney will help protect your rights.
8 Most Common Causes of Tractor Trailer Accidents
Accidents can be caused for any reason, but we’ll list the most common causes below.
1. Fatigue
Truck drivers are a vital component of the world’s supply chain. Drivers average 400 – 600+ miles per day, and it’s not uncommon for the average work week to be 40 – 60 hours. Long hours on the road lead to:
- Slowed reactions on the road
- Reckless driving
- Nodding off while driving
Federal regulations limit the number of hours truckers can be on the road, but violations can and do occur. While fines and penalties do exist as a way to deter employers from keeping truck drivers on the road past federal regulations, hours of service violations still cause many accidents.
2. Distracted Driving
Distracted drivers claim over 3,300 lives per year and are caused by actions people take every day when they’re on the road. Truckers pick up their phone to read a text from a friend or lean over to grab a drink they dropped.
A distraction that lasts a second or two is enough to cause a tractor trailer accident.
If a trucker looks at a text message, the average time spent reading is five seconds. Driving at 55+ miles per hour means that the trucker is traveling over a football field in distance with their eyes off of the road.
Distracted driving can occur due to:
- Eating
- Smartphone usage
- Touching navigation systems
- Adjusting the radio
- Any task that takes the driver’s eyes off the road
3. Alcohol or Drug Impairment
Drug and alcohol impairment are an unfortunate cause of accidents across the United States. Truckers may use substances to stay awake and avoid driver fatigue or as a means to deal with long stretches on the road alone.
Alcohol has been shown to cause:
- Slow reaction time
- Poor judgment
Truckers can also avoid narcotics and alcohol but simply have adverse reactions to prescription medications. Irresponsible behavior like this is impossible for pedestrians to avoid. If you notice a big rig is driving erratically, stay far behind the vehicle and avoid it.
4. Traffic Violations
Truckers who fail to follow the rules of the road not only put themselves at risk of getting a citation; they also put other motorists’ lives at risk.
Common traffic violations that cause truck accidents include:
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Running a red light
- Speeding
- Failing to yield
- Improper turns
When these violations lead to accidents, the consequences are often serious or even fatal. Speeding or running a red light can lead to life-changing injuries or death if a truck collides with a passenger vehicle or pedestrian.
5. Reckless Driving
Truck drivers undergo extensive training to obtain their CDL and learn how to operate tractor trailers safely. But at the end of the day, truckers are still human and can easily fall victim to road rage.
Reckless or aggressive driving isn’t always the result of road rage, but this type of behavior can significantly increase the risk of accidents.
Every year, a substantial number of truck accidents are caused by reckless maneuvers, such as tailgating, switching lanes aggressively or even deliberately trying to run other motorists off of the road.
Along with being held liable for accidents, truck drivers who engage in aggressive or reckless driving may also lose their licenses.
6. Poorly Loaded Cargo
Tractor trailers can haul 42,000-48,000 pounds of cargo. If that cargo is poorly secured or overloaded, it can easily cause a serious or even fatal accident.
Shifting cargo may cause the driver to lose control and collide with another vehicle, object or pedestrian.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), cargo shift is one of the most dangerous contributing factors to truck accidents. It can be caused by:
- Improper bracing
- Uneven weight distribution in the trailer
- Weight distributed with a high center of gravity
- Too few or improper tiedowns
Some third-party suppliers may cut corners or try to exceed weight limits for financial purposes. In cases like this, the party that loaded the cargo may also be held liable for any injuries or damages in an accident.
7. Failure to Check Blind Spots
One of the biggest challenges of operating a commercial truck is being aware of your blind spots. Even smaller tractor trailers have multiple blind spots, where drivers cannot see other vehicles, obstacles or pedestrians.
If drivers fail to check their blind spots before switching lanes or making a turn, they can easily collide with another vehicle or even a pedestrian.
There are several factors that may contribute to blind spot errors, including many of the other causes on this list:
- Alcohol or drug use
- Driver fatigue
- Distracted driving
But sometimes, these errors are due to drivers failing to adjust their mirrors to minimize blind spots. If mirrors and other safety technology are improperly installed, this can further increase the risk of an accident.
8. Hazardous Road or Weather Conditions
Road hazards and inclement weather make it difficult for anyone to drive safely. If the roads are slick, tractor trailers will have an even harder time stopping. Ongoing construction or hazards in the middle of the road can easily lead to a collision.
These are some of the top causes of tractor trailer accidents, and many of them are preventable. Often, it’s negligent drivers, trucking companies and other third parties that are at fault for these serious accidents.
If you were involved in a truck accident, we can help you understand your options and navigate the personal injury claims process.
Contact us today to get a free case evaluation from an experienced tractor trailer accidents lawyer.