What Are the Causes of a Commercial Truck Accident?

When you’re responsible for a fleet of commercial trucks, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to handle an accident at some point. You hire a good truck accident lawyer and don’t think about it until the next accident.

What if you knew the most common cause of a commercial truck accident and could prevent them in the future? That would save you a lot of time and money.

Continue reading to learn a few of the different reasons commercial vehicles cause accidents.

Inadequate Training

Drivers need to know proper technique, defensive maneuvers, and general safety information. They all learned this before receiving their license. Over time they may have forgotten the basics.

Some drivers take it upon themselves to stay knowledgeable and up-to-date. Others will only do the bare minimum.

Offering supplemental training will help cut down on truck accident causes. It doesn’t have to be too rigorous or involve any testing. Perhaps having a poster about basic safety in a break room or a meeting.

Poor Scheduling

There’s a reason drivers are only allowed to operate trucks for a certain amount of time. Legal regulations are in place to prevent driver fatigue.

Drivers can work for 11 hours, but after that, they are required to have at least a 10-hour break. When scheduling, make sure that drivers have enough time in between shifts.

Speeding

It’s dangerous for any driver to be going above the speed limit. They exist to keep everyone safe, and breaking them leads to accidents.

Tracking software such as linxup.com can help you keep a closer eye on your fleet. You can see driver locations. Know that if they arrive way too early they’re not a good driver, they’re reckless.

Distractions

There are a lot of boring hours when you’re alone in a truck for long stretches of mundane scenery. However, drivers can’t afford to have distractions like cell phones taking their attention from the road.

Driver safety starts with making sure that your hands, vision, and mind are all focused on operating the vehicle. This may seem obvious, but most auto accident causes originate from simply not paying attention.

Newer drivers tend to be more focused while someone who has had their license for years might be a little too comfortable. Everyone needs to be reminded about the dangers of operating heavy machinery.

Vehicle in Poor Condition

Preventing accidents isn’t always something drivers have control over. Many commercial truck accidents are the result of brakes not working properly or other issues that are the responsibility of the fleet manager.

Check your trucks regularly and make sure everything is in a safe condition.

Don’t be the Cause of a Commercial Truck Accident

Part of your responsibility as a driver or fleet manager is to prevent as many accidents as possible. Knowing the common causes helps you prevent them from happening.

You can’t avoid every commercial truck accident, but most are easily preventable with a little bit of knowledge.

To learn more about automobiles, visit our Technology page. You’ll find articles that will help you become a better driver.