According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 116,000 people injured and over 4,000 people killed in large truck accidents in 2015. With so many people getting injured and killed, it is important to know what causes these crashes. Here are some of the most common causes of truck accidents:

Truck Driver Negligence

When a driver acts negligently behind the wheel, they are more likely to cause an accident. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, driver behavior is a critical reason in 87 percent of truck accidents it assigned with one. Some of the most common negligent behaviors may include:

  • Driving too fast for the conditions
  • Distracted or inattentive driving
  • Following too closely
  • Failure to use turn signals
  • Frequent lane changes

Driving Fatigue

Out of the 78,000 accidents assigned with a critical reason, non-performance reasons accounted for 12 percent, including falling asleep at the wheel. Truck drivers experience driver fatigue due to spending long hours transporting products from one place to the other. Federal trucking regulations require drivers to take regular breaks and limit the number hours they can drive straight without any sleep.The regulations require drivers to keep a logbook to record their hours to make sure they abide by these rules. Unfortunately, some companies encourage drivers to falsify this information to deliver their cargo on time.

Aggressive Driving

A driver’s intentional decisions may be a critical reason for truck accidents. When a driver chooses to drive aggressively, they put their lives and the lives of other motorists at risk. Some examples of aggressive driving include:

  • Weaving in and out of traffic
  • Tailgating
  • Excessive speeding

Truck drivers who are unable to control their anger or make poor decisions while on the road can cause devastating accidents.

Poor Training

Trucks are much more difficult to navigate than passenger vehicles due to their large size and heavy cargo. As a result, truck drivers must undergo extensive training and obtain a commercial license. In some cases, trucking employees fail to get the training they need and end up causing an accident while on-the-job. The FMSCA found that driver performance accounted for 12 percent of truck accidents assigned a critical reason. These drivers panicked and exercised poor directional control or overcompensated. Proper training may have prevented them from making those mistakes.
No matter what caused your truck accident, the injuries and damages you experience can be disastrous. The attorneys at the Montero Law Center are here to help you pursue the responsible parties for your damages. Call us today at 1-888-459-0529.