What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents?

Like all motor vehicle accidents, there are many different factors that cause truck crashes. But with large truck accidents, these causes can often be even more complex and involve numerous at-fault parties. These are some of the most common truck accident causes:

• Dangerous actions taken by truck drivers, such as driving drunk, speeding, or improperly handling their vehicles.
• Truck drivers who violate state and federal regulations, including the Hours-of-Service rules and guidelines regarding work schedules.
• Trucking companies who incentivize or threaten drivers into breaking the law, leading to dangerous behavior on the road.
• Failing truck parts that cause the driver to lose control or the big rig to break down on the road. This can lead to major incidents like a jackknife or a runaway trailer.
• Dangerous roads that are either poorly designed or that have been seriously damaged and left unrepaired by responsible government agencies.
• Other passenger vehicle drivers who act recklessly, leading to a chain reaction on the road that involves a tractor trailer.

In addition, large commercial trucks have blind spots. The largest blind spot on a truck is on the right-hand side. With only a mirror and the driver sitting on the other side of the truck, this no-zone begins at the mirror of the cab and extends almost the entire length of the truck. It also extends across one entire lane on that side. For this reason, drivers should avoid passing a truck on the right-hand side.

The left-hand side of the truck also has a blind spot beginning at the side mirror and extending the full length of the cab of the truck. If you cannot see the trucker’s face, the truck driver cannot see you, either. Directly behind the truck is another no-zone, one that extends up to 200 feet. Being in this no-zone also makes it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead and reduces your reaction time. Trucks also have a no-zone directly in front of them. This blind spot extends up to 20 feet. Because a truck’s driver sits higher than other vehicles, it can be difficult to see what is in front of the truck. Cutting off a truck can be dangerous, because the truck driver may not know a vehicle has moved into that spot.

Although these no-zones are large, truck drivers are still responsible for knowing how to work with them and around them to ensure everyone is safe. When they do not, they can still be held liable, even if a vehicle was in their no-zone.