In a previous article, we discussed how the size and weight of a truck can lead to accidents on the highway. However, the simple bulk of a big rig is only one issue that results in deadly semi accidents. In a significant number of cases, as our Indianapolis truck accident attorney, the truck collision is caused by the truck driver himself.
How Truck Drivers Cause Crashes
There are several common causes of truck accidents in which the truck driver is at fault, including the following:
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Speeding. This may be the most common cause of truck accidents, despite its simplicity. Speeding in a passenger car is dangerous, but speeding in a truck that weighs up to 80,000 pounds can have devastating results. Trucks take a longer time to brake and when they lose control, they can take out a large number of vehicles around them.
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Driver fatigue. Despite federal regulations designed to prevent tired truck drivers, sleepy big rig drivers are still on the road. Since driving is their job and they get more money the more they drive, drivers are often caught falsifying their trucker logs and staying on the road for far too long to drive safety. Being tired at the wheel is just as dangerous as being drunk at the wheel.
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In-cab distractions. It can get lonely driving a big rig across the country and back for a living, and truckers have come up with a number of novel ways to keep busy on the road. Unfortunately, many of these ways are distracting to their job. Mini-televisions, CB radios, cell phones, and other mobile devices can take their attention off the road and can easily cause truck accidents.
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Driving under the influence. Some truck drivers take stimulants so that they can drive longer without getting sleepy. Others may be on prescription drugs that make them tired or less responsive. Truckers are not allowed to have a blood alcohol level above 0.02 percent, but even still, there are drunk and drugged truckers on the road every day.
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