Are There Other Factors that Actually Lead to Most Crashes?
Though some estimates suggest that environmental factors may be involved in as many as one in five large truck wrecks, are road conditions really to blame for that many crashes? Are there other causes that actually lead a driver to lose control or collide with another vehicle?
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Statistics Related to Truck Accidents
According to the FMCSA, large truck accidents remain a problem, with more than 120,000 reported on average every year. Because of the sheer size of most commercial trucks, these accidents commonly result in serious and catastrophic loss, including more than 4,000 fatalities annually.
Are Road Conditions Really to Blame for Up to 20% of Large Truck Accidents?
In a recent study, which looked at nearly 1,000 large truck accidents, researchers found that the environment accounted for only about 3% of all large truck accidents. The most prevalent cause, accounting for some 87% of all truck accidents, was negligence on the part of the driver. That includes failure to perform, poor decision-making, and failure to recognize potentially dangerous conditions. The study found that many drivers exceeded either the posted speed limit or the reasonable rate of speed, given environmental conditions, a common cause of accidents. Among the factors found to commonly lead to accidents were:
- Driver fatigue or physical impairment
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating, misjudging the speed of other vehicles or failing to take weather/environment conditions into account
- Panic, overcompensation or other poor decision-making in a crisis
Let Attorney Michael De La Paz Help Protect Your Rights after a Texas Truck Crash
At the Law Office of Michael R. De La Paz, we have more than 26 years of experience protecting the rights of personal injury victims in Harlingen, McAllen, Brownsville and Houston, across Texas and nationwide, including men, women and children who have suffered needless injury in a Texas truck accident. We will use our considerable experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you get the outcome you want. Free call, text or chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week–https://delapazlaw.com/.
Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases Nationwide, Including, But Not Limited to Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois and Oklahoma