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According to truckinfo.net, there are over 15 million commercial vehicles registered in the United States and more than 3.5 million commercial drivers. Every 16 minutes one person is either injured or killed in a truck-related accident. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) have identified the top three causes of trucks colliding with other vehicles. These three causes are: 

•    Driving too fast for conditions – 42 percent
•    Driver distraction – 35 percent
•    Driver fatigue – 10 percent 

Driving too fast for conditions 

The Triodyne, Inc. Safety Bulletin says that speed increases perception-reaction distance, braking distance, and stopping distance. Examples of conditions where drivers may find themselves driving too fast include: wet roadways (rain, snow, or ice), reduced visibility (fog), uneven roads, construction zones, curves, intersections, gravel roads, and heavy traffic.  The Triodyne consulting engineers and scientists say that studies have shown that large trucks entering a curve, even at the posted speed limit, have lost control and rolled over due to their high center of gravity. 40 percent of speed-related fatalities occur on curves. Truck rollovers are more likely to occur on exit/entrance ramps when the driver misjudges the sharpness of the ramp curve and enters the curve at an excessive speed.  

Driver distraction 

Texting, according to truckinginfo.com, is among the worst driving distractions. The odds of being involved in a crash, near-crash, or unintentional lane deviation are 23.2 times greater for truck and bus drivers who are texting while driving. Since 2003, the NTSB (National Traffic Safety Board) says, it has found distraction from portable electronic devices as a cause, or contributing factor, in 11 accident investigations. Those crashes resulted in 259 people being injured and 50 people being killed. 

Although texting and use of handheld devices while driving is already illegal for interstate commercial truck drivers and all hazmat drivers, the NTSB has been pushing for a ban on all phone use, including hands-free devices. 

Driver fatigue 

According to the NTSB’s report to congress in April 2016, human fatigue is both a symptom of poor sleep and health management, and an enabler of other impairments, such as poor judgment and decision making, slowed reaction times, and loss of situational awareness and control. Fatigue degrades a person’s ability to stay awake, alert, and attentive to the demands of controlling their vehicles safely. 

The agency says that all interstate commercial vehicle carriers should equip their vehicles with electronic logging devices that collect data on driver hours of service in a valid, accurate, and secure manner to enable the carriers and their regulators to monitor and assess hours-of-service compliance. Additional development and implementation of in-vehicle technologies to reduce the occurrence of fatigue-related accidents also improves safety. Companies must establish fatigue risk management programs and then continually monitor their success to reduce fatigue-related risks for personnel performing safety-critical tasks, says the NTSB. 

“Being injured in an accident which involves a commercial truck is usually devastating because of the mere size and weight differences. If you or a loved one has been injured in such an accident, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys at our Fort Myers Injury Law Firm,” said Attorney Randall Spivey.

Fort Myers Truck Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just 1 percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at  239. 337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com  for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.