Driving Habits Contribute to Car and Truck Crashes

Personal injury lawyers and safety groups work to heavily promote the dangers big 18-wheelers create on our highways and interstates. The mainstream media also do their part in this promotion.

Safety organizations calling for more federal regulations to be imposed on truck drivers claim that fatigue is a contributing factor in up to 30-40% of all heavy truck accidents. The problem with this statement is that it is false.

Commercial trucks are involved in 2.4% of all auto accidents and more than 80% of those accidents are the fault of the non-commercial driver. Additionally, only 16% of all truck driving accidents are due to the truck driver’s fault and of those death-related accidents, only 4% of trucks are fatigue related.

The truth when it comes to car and truck accidents is that the driver of the car is at fault more than 80% of the time. This is one more reason why driver’s education should include training on how to drive around large trucks and parents should help educate their adult children on the main driving habits that are the cause of car and truck accidents.

The most serious problem faced by non-professional drivers is the lack of understanding of truck driving mechanics. Other factors include basic safe driving skills, such as obeying the speed limit, changing lanes, and respecting other drivers.

The most common causes of semi-truck car accidents are:

• Driving in the “Prohibited Zones” of the truck – All 18-wheelers have “blind spots” where the driver cannot see the car due to the size of the commercial vehicle. These “blind spots” include directly behind the truck, in front of the truck, which includes the lane the truck is in, as well as a lane to the right and a “blind spot” next to the truck’s right door. Additionally, there is a “no-go zone” on each side of the truck that can span multiple lanes.
• Leaving in front of a truck without proper acceleration – An 18-wheeler needs a longer distance to stop. As a general rule of thumb, a semi-trailer takes 40% longer to stop than a car. Depending on road conditions, cargo weight and other similar factors, it may even take longer. For example, the stopping distance for a fully loaded tractor-trailer on dry pavement going 60 mph is about 335 feet, about the length of a football field.
• Driving between or next to large trucks – This is one of the most dangerous garments one can wear, as large trucks create airflow that can push the car onto the bed. If necessary, increase your speed to pass the truck as soon as possible and avoid possible air turbulence.
• Maneuver to the right of a truck that is turning right – When you do this, the rig driver at some point cannot see you due to the “blind spot” this maneuver creates.
• Changing lanes abruptly in front of a truck – Again, due to the size and weight of these large vehicles, their braking or deceleration process is greater and simply due to inertia and the laws of physics, they will not be able to stop in time to avoid a crash.
• Misjudging the speed of an oncoming truck at an intersection – Many car-truck crashes occur at intersections as the truck approaches to make a turn. Due to the size of the commercial vehicle, its speed may appear to be much slower than it is actually moving; much like a large passenger plane flying through the sky; it seems to move very slowly, although we all know it doesn’t.

The list of causes of car and truck accidents could be endless, but these are the top serious driving habits engaged in by non-commercial drivers that result in 80% of car drivers being the direct cause of car and truck related accidents.

Other factors include:

• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Ignore road conditions
• Talking on a cell phone and/or texting while driving
• Speeding
• Reckless driving/moving in and out of traffic
• just not paying attention

If the driver’s education course is going to fail to teach our children how to drive in the big trucks, then the parents must take up this task because the life they save could be their own children.