Common Types of Truck Accidents
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- 10-06-2021
What Are Common Types of Truck Accidents?
Working in the trucking or distribution industry, you may come across some of the following common types of truck accidents. Find out more about these accidents and how to avoid them.
There are a few truck accidents that can occur in the trucking industry.
Head-on Collisions:
Head-on collisions are rare and can sometimes end with being fatal for one of the people connected to the crash. Head-on collisions usually occur when the truck driver is distracted or is under the influence. This means the truck driver does not have complete control over their vehicle and cannot control and avoid incoming cars properly.
Sometimes, the truck driver can have driver fatigue, where the driver has been working long hours and may fall asleep for a short time while driving.
Rear-end Truck Accidents:
Rear-end truck accidents happen for several reasons. These accidents can happen if the truck driver is driving too fast for the current road conditions, such as icy or wet, drivers distracted from the road such as using their phone or tailgating a vehicle.
Due to the size and weight of the vehicle, its stopping distance is an increase compared to other cars on the road, so it needs more time for it to stop safely. Some car drivers in front of the truck driver may stop for some reason, and this can make it difficult for the driver to stop in time before rear-ending the car in front. Therefore, it is suggested to have at least a 6-second gap between the drivers of the vehicles for a decent braking distance before the truck stops.
Jackknife Accidents:
If a truck was to create a jackknife on the road, it could make a severe road danger for others currently on it.
A jackknife accident can occur when the truck brakes suddenly and the trailers they are carrying are swinging out at nearly a night-degree angle. As the trailer swings out, this can cause other vehicles on the road to cause more accidents. Because the truck is still braking, the trailer is also at risk of tipping over, which will take the front of the truck with it.
Side-Impact Accidents:
Side-impact collisions or T-bones and broadside collision are collisions that occur primarily at intersections.
As you might guess, having a full weight truck smash into the side of a vehicle can end in severe damage to the car and the person inside. With that being said, these types of accidents are less common than the other accidents that are being talked about.
This type of collision can occur when the truck driver or the car driver is distracted and either goes through a red light or stop sign by accident or tries to speed their way through. This will cause a bad impact and can be very dangerous for those involved and in the area.
Blindspot Accidents:
With large commercial trucks, they can only see out of their side mirrors and nothing directly behind them. This is why it is suggested to stay a little back when near trucks so they can clearly see you there. In addition, these blindspots are bigger and can be dangerous for cars that go inside of the blindspots as the truck drivers may not be aware o you being there, and injuries may occur if they brake suddenly.
Rollover Accidents:
Roll-over accidents mainly occur when the truck driver loses control over their vehicle.
Roll-over accidents are one of the most dangerous and deadly for truck drivers, and these can occur when the truck is overloaded or the truck is speeding. If the truck is speeding or overloaded, it can be hazardous for the driver to go around corners and curves as these can cause it to tip over.
For truck drivers, the most common cause of a roll-over is burnout with one of the tires in 18-wheelers. Personal injuries and catastrophic injuries can occur from this accident.
Cargo-related Accidents:
Overloaded or load improperly secured are the most common causes of cargo-related accidents. Having cargo-related accidents can be anything from boxes coming loose in the back to liquid substances like beer or fuel getting loose, which can cause some issues on the road and needs to be adequately cleaned.
Although the trucker might not be in harm's way, the cars around them may be as the cargo will be entering the road or causing panic, which can cause more damage than the actual cargo itself.
Underride Accidents:
Underride accidents are similar to rear-end collisions, but these can be more fatal for the drivers of the cars. An underride accident occurs when a vehicle rear-ends the truck instead of the other way around, and this can mean the car and the driver are stuck underneath the heavy truck and its cargo.
This can sometimes happen to tractor-trailers as well. Just like rear-end accidents, this type of accident can occur when the driver is impaired, distracted or tired in some way which makes it difficult for them to avoid the accident.
Tire Blowouts:
Due to the amount of weight under the truck and the long distances the truck does, tire blowouts can be quite common if the big rid has poor maintenance.
Preventing Truck Accidents
The best thing to start with is to avoid being distracted. This means avoiding your phone or fidgeting with controls if they are not needed, even if you are bored.
This is because you are diverting your attention which can significantly reduce your reaction time if anything happens.
Secondly, to reduce some accidents, you should leave a little extra room between vehicles to ensure the braking distance is more than enough and consider the current weight and weather conditions when judging the braking distance.
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