Like any type of auto accident, truck accidents happen for various reasons. However, truck drivers are in a unique situation because of the environment of trucking, the size of the truck, the cargo they carry, the hours they work, and the health conditions that often accompany the occupation.

Because of these factors, truck accidents often result from one of a few common causes. As our Atlanta truck accident lawyers have learned, the majority of the reasons why truck accidents happen is simply driver error. Consider what many believe are the most common causes of truck accidents:

Driver Fatigue

Truck drivers are at a high risk for drowsy or fatigued driving. Long work hours often results in truck drivers taking short naps, rather than getting a good night’s sleep. A federal study estimates that truck drivers get, on average, around 4.8 hours of sleep per day. More than half of study participants reported experiencing bouts of drowsiness lasting six minutes or more.

Driver fatigue is a serious hazard for all drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), being awake for 18 hours straight equates to having a blood alcohol content level (BAC) of 0.05%. A BAC of 0.05% can cause:

♦ Exaggerated behaviors

♦ Inability to control small muscle groups

♦ Inability to focus eyes properly

♦ Judgment is impaired

♦ Coordination and balance is impaired

♦ Tracking objects is more difficult

♦ Slowed response to emergencies or hazards

♦ Lowered inhibitions

With those side effects in mind, now consider that 13% of 120,000 truck drivers surveyed report driving while fatigued at the time they were involved in an accident.

Distracted Driving

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that 71 percent of truck accidents involve distractions. Distractions are also a factor in around 46 percent of near-misses. Distracted driving is often synonymous with texting and cell phone use, but it actually encompasses far more. Distracted driving includes anything that takes the driver’s attention off the road, including:

♦ Cell phone use

♦ Programming a GPS

♦ Looking at a map

♦ Eating

♦ Reading

♦ Grooming

♦ Talking to someone else

♦ Getting distracted by something on the side of the road

Construction Zone Hazards

Around 30 percent of auto accidents in construction zones involve large trucks. In the past several years, reports show at least 1,000 people were killed in construction zone accidents involving large trucks. Another 18,000 were injured.

Construction zones are particularly hazardous for large trucks because lanes are often closed, narrowed, or shifted. Also, traffic may be particularly congested or stop-and-go. Construction zones also often involve workers near the road who flag or redirect traffic. All of these factors together make drivers quite vulnerable to collisions.

Most often, truck accidents in construction zones involve rear-end collisions. Large trucks take longer to slow down or stop. If the car in front of them brakes suddenly or traffic is stopped up ahead, the truck driver may not react quickly enough to avoid a collision.

Driving Under the Influence

In 2017, over five percent of truck drivers involved in fatal accidents tested positive for drugs. Most of those positive test results involve stimulants, marijuana, or narcotics. However, around 60 percent of truck drivers involved in accidents are not tested for alcohol or drugs. In 2017, three percent of truck drivers tested had a BAC of 0.08% or higher.

Of course, sometimes truck drivers are prescribed a medication that may cause them to suffer side effects of intoxication, such as fatigue or slowed reflexes. However, truck drivers must be responsible for their actions, including monitoring their health and avoiding driving while taking potentially dangerous medications.

While these are the most common causes of truck accidents, this list is certainly not exhaustive. No matter what the cause, if you have been involved in a truck accident, consider talking to an attorney. You may have grounds to file a truck accident claim and recover compensation for your injuries.

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