Head-On Collisions Are the Most Common Type of Accident Between Large Trucks and Other Vehicles
Passenger vehicle drivers who spend time on the roads with large trucks might assume that truck drivers most often cause collisions with smaller vehicles simply because they cannot see them. The inability to see smaller vehicles in blind spots is certainly a common cause of semi-truck and tractor-trailer accidents, but it does not explain the reasons behind the high number of front-end collisions.
Surprisingly, 2011 statistics show the majority of fatal two-vehicle crashes were front-end collisions. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 29 percent of these collisions involved impact to the front ends of both the trucks and the other vehicles. Although no statistics point to the likely causes, injury attorneys often identify the following underlying reasons:
- Difficulty navigating roadway curves, causing trucks to move out of their lanes into oncoming traffic
- Being distracted by a cellphone or other device
- Being fatigued because of long hours behind the wheel of a truck
- Driving faster than the speed limit or too fast for weather or road conditions
Passenger vehicle drivers must accept that they share the roads with large, heavy vehicles and keep in mind that accidents with those trucks are likely to result in catastrophic injuries to the people in the smaller vehicle. It is important to drive defensively, expecting an oncoming large truck to appear suddenly at every bend or to lose control on wet roads.
The best type of truck accident is one that does not happen. However, if you sustain injuries in a collision with a big rig, understand that these are among the most complex types of vehicle accident cases. An experienced Fort Lauderdale truck accident lawyer can help level the playing field and protect your rights when going up against powerful trucking companies.
