According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, police received reports of 6,756,000 wrecks in 2019. The National Safety Council states that in the same year 10% of all fatal motor vehicle accidents involved large trucks.
They are more prone to crashing than other automobiles simply because they are larger and more difficult to operate. Certain factors result in commercial truck wrecks more often than others.
1. Exhaustion
Truck drivers must travel for long periods, often driving through the night to reach their destination. Even though the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted laws to prevent trucker fatigue, the pressure to deliver in a certain amount of time means they still often do not get enough sleep. This may lead to the individual drifting between lanes, falling asleep at the wheel or failing to react in a timely manner.
2. Speeding
Due to strict deadlines, many truck operators exceed the speed limit. They also often risk trying to pass other vehicles to reach their goal faster.
3. Distractions
Spending so much time alone on the road means truckers often experience boredom. They may try to alleviate this by texting, speaking on the phone or performing other activities that distract them from the road. Even changing the radio station may divert their focus for long enough to cause a wreck.
Truck accidents are often more severe than ones involving other vehicles. Their heavy loads make it harder for the drivers to stop. The time constraints and lack of stimulating diversions to occupy themselves with may cause them to act in ways that lead to crashes.