One of the main challenges which truck accident lawyers have is to prove who exactly has been liable for the injuries sustained by their client. In some cases this could be the fault of the trucking company, we also see manufacturers being blamed, and right down to those who have landed the cargo can be liable. In a lot of cases however it is the driver who is at fault, and that again can happen for a number of reasons. When the driver is at fault, here are the main causes.
Braking Issues
Some 29% of all accidents which are caused by the driver come from braking issues that they have on board. This is either the fact that they have not been properly maintained or that the driver has left it too late to hit the brakes.
Too Fast
A whopping 23% of all accidents caused by drivers are as a result of the driver going too fast. What is specifically mentioned in the statistics is that these drivers are going too fast for the conditions, rather than just focusing on drivers who speed. Naturally, when you are operating a vehicle as heavy as a truck, it is critical that you make adjustments based on the weather.
Unfamiliar Driver
Surprisingly we have seen a huge number of accidents that are caused because drivers are not familiar with their route. In fact, 23% of accidents happen because of this. In recent years we have seen a rise in these kinds of accidents, as more truck drivers use GPS to get the fastest routes. Those routes may be fast, but if a driver is not familiar with them it could cause problems.
Over-The-Counter Drug Use
When we hear about people driving under the influence it is easy to assume that alcohol or illegal drugs were responsible. The reality however is that there are many drivers who cause accidents because of the fact that they take over-the-counter medication. Often this can leave drivers impaired and that is what results in 17% of all driver-responsible accidents.
Fatigue
One of the biggest reasons for the change of working hours for truck drivers which was made in 2012 was that too many accidents were being caused by fatigue. Currently, the restrictions are that a driver can only operate a commercial vehicle for 11 hours in every 24, and this has helped to reduce the number of fatigue-related accidents on the road. Unfortunately, however, we are still seeing this as a common cause of accidents, with some 13% of driver-responsible accidents being as a result of fatigued drivers. Often we see drivers get behind the wheel despite being tired, as they want to make money and not let down their employer. More has to be done in order to reduce the fatigue that drivers are feeling, and consequentially to reduce the number of truck accidents.
These are the reasons why we see drivers cause truck accidents on our roads.
