According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, five people passed away in a large truck accident in Berkeley County during 2014 alone. Large truck crashes are a serious problem in Huntington, and other cities across the whole state of West Virginia, claiming even more lives and causing significant disabilities that affect victims for life. For truck drivers and everyone else on the road, understanding some of the main causes of these wrecks is paramount.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has outlined some of the primary causes of large truck accidents after conducting a study with the NHTSA. Significant causes include problems with braking, the congestion of traffic and the use of prescription medication. Other major factors associated with these wrecks include truck driver fatigue, drivers who are not familiar with the road, speeding and insufficient surveillance. NHTSA estimates show that roughly 120,000 large truck accidents resulting in an injury or fatality took place throughout the 33-month period of study.
These accidents may be the result of a truck driver’s poor decisions (such as following other vehicles too close) or poor human performance. Furthermore, some accidents are caused by drivers who become distracted or those who experience a physical impairment, such as suffering a heart attack. Some large truck crashes are caused by recklessness (such as drunk driving or operating a truck while intoxicated by narcotics), while others are more difficult to prevent. Unfortunately, these types of traffic accidents will likely claim an unsettling number of lives in the future and leave many more people injured.
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