Big trucks on the road can cause a lot of damage due to their size. This is why the majority of accidents involving big trucks and smaller cars end with significant consequences. There have been incidents of big trucks running over smaller vehicles that are simply stopped at a stop sign because the truck driver was distracted. Other common causes of big truck accidents are driver violations and car malfunctions. Talk to a Tennessee truck accident lawyer today if you have suffered injuries from a big truck accident.

The Extent of Big Truck Accidents

In 2016 alone, 104,000 injuries and 3,464 deaths resulted from big truck accidents. Most of these accidents happen in rural areas and on interstate highways where drivers often encounter drowsiness from the long stretches of road. The length of these highways makes poor weather conditions and distracted driving riskier. Long drives increase people’s chances of experiencing an urge to respond to a text or check their phone due to boredom.

Most fatal truck accidents happen during weekdays, when people are going to and from work while truck drivers are also on the job. Trucks do not overturn as much as vehicle collisions which happen with big trucks. Sometimes, truck drivers run into the back of smaller vehicles, underestimate how much space they will need for a turn, or fail to see a car driving in their blind spot. The average car driver may fail to properly time their left turn, be distracted, or make a mistake while attempting to a pass a large truck on the highway.

Big Truck Violations

According to the FMCSA, there are several big truck violations in 2017 that may have played a role in truck accidents. There were 51,149 hours of service violations, which means that thousands of truck drivers drive longer than they should be. This increases their chances of falling asleep at the wheel. 66,930 drivers speed 6-10 miles over the limit, 28,770 break laws regarding lane usage, and 16,299 drive over the speed limit by 15 miles per hour. Some of these violations may result from the stress of driving for long periods of time with little to no breaks.

At a shocking amount, 21,742 truck drivers use a cell phone while driving. Distracted driving is a huge instigator of mistakes that lead to car accidents. Laws have even been put in place because of how widespread cell phone usage is while driving.

When it comes to vehicle malfunctions in large trucks:

  • 181,145 have misadjusted brakes
  • 166,847 failed to have an up-to-date inspection
  • 66,251 have faulty warning lights
  • 63,241 have leaking or flat tires
  • 138,399 have an oil leak

Any one of these malfunctions could lead to a severe wreck if not taken care of in a timely manner.