The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released results of their Large Truck Crash Causation Study. The study examined data on truck crashes during the past few years to find out what causes large truck accidents and how they can be prevented.
The study found that truck collisions often have multiple causes. However, most of the common causes of truck crashes involved driver behavior, such as prescription and over-the-counter drug use, driving too fast for weather or road conditions, driver distraction, and fatigue. Problems with the truck itself, including brake failures and tire problems, were also responsible for a significant number of truck crashes.
Half of the truck accidents covered by the study involved a collision between a truck and a passenger vehicle, such as a car, truck, van, or SUV. The study found that the factors that caused crashes between large trucks and passenger vehicles were basically the same as those that caused all truck crashes. They included failure by drivers to pay attention, driver distraction, fatigue, and speeding. Researchers also found that up to 44 percent of truck-car crashes were initiated by an action on the part of the truck, whether it was a driver's behavior or a faulty truck part.
Truck accidents can leave motorists with serious injuries. If you or a loved one has been in a truck crash, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced New Hampshire truck accident attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call (888) 332-5855 today.