Everybody knows that accidents are the basic price that most of us pay for driving: rare is the person who gets through life without experiencing a fender bender at minimum. However, there are also a large number of fatal truck accidents that happen each year, and many of these are preventable. According to Keep Truckin, the main cause of truck crashes are overworked and tired truck drivers.
Of course, the cause is not always as simple as the driver falling asleep at the wheel. While this sort of situation does occur, it falls under the category known as “non-performance” and this only accounts for 12% of all truck crashes. The larger culprit is “decision,’ which accounts for 38% of all truck crashes, followed closely by “recognition,” which accounts for 28%.
“Decision”-related accidents are related to poor judgment on the part of the driver. Perhaps the driver was going too fast for the conditions, or misjudged how far ahead the next car was. Often these are a result of overworked drivers trying to ensure that they get their cargo to the drop-off point on time.
“Recognition”-related accidents are more commonly known by the term “distracted driving.” Looking at a cell phone, or simply falling into highway hypnosis are common forms of recognition-related accidents.
It is important to put an adequate amount of distance between yourself an a semi-truck. While you may be in a hurry to get to your destination, there is a chance that the driver of the semi-truck is in a hurry as well… and this can cause catastrophic consequences for both parties.