Large trucks are not as easy to drive as smaller vehicles, which is why truck drivers need to exercise great care while navigating their vehicles down a Louisiana highway. While some truckers can safely drive and not hit another automobile, this is not true for all truckers. And since trucks are large, they can produce serious or even fatal auto accidents.
According to Work Truck, the year 2019 saw an uptick in truck accidents. Some truck fleets experienced moderate increases while others saw a larger increase. The article explained a few reasons why the number of recent commercial truck accidents has gone up.
Increases in truck drivers
2019 saw an increase in the frequency of medium duty truck accidents. Part of the problem originated from the rise in economic activity, which increased the number of trucks on the road. The expansion of the number of truck drivers meant more fatigued or distracted drivers were present on the road. And since there was a greater demand for truck drivers, companies would hire less experienced truckers to drive their vehicles.
Extended driving routes
Extending truck routes also increased the risk of trucking accidents. The management of some trucking companies imposed extended routes on their drivers, requiring them to cover more territory but not extending their driving time. These quotas pressured truckers to drive quicker to reach more places during their daily time frame, which boosted the odds of an accident occurring.
Improving driver performance
Trucking companies are taking steps to improve the driving of their employees. Companies that have employed telematics technology are seeing safer driving out of their truckers. The better driving from these companies results from a better emphasis on safe driving, which reduces the odds of reckless driving behavior like speeding or braking harshly.
Even with efforts on the part of companies to improve truck driving performance, Louisiana drivers should still take special care while approaching a large commercial truck on a highway. Even if you are adhering to safe driving standards, the truck driver might experience fatigue from long hours of driving and may not see you.