Large Trucks: Accident Dangers and Safety Recommendations
Texas has one of the highest truck crash rates in the nation. Learn more about the truck safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board in an effort to curb crashes.
January 05, 2012
An 18-wheeler hit a bridge and overturned recently on Interstate 30 in Dallas, Texas. While no injuries were reported in the truck accident, the concern remains: 18-wheelers pose a threat to their drivers as well as other drivers and passengers on the road. And the larger the truck, the more deadly the accident outcome can be.According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 51,000 large truck accidents occurred in 2009, involving 74,000 people -- most of whom were in passenger vehicles. In those crashes, 2,987 people were killed.
Unfortunately, Texas has one of the highest crash rates in the country. The Texas Department of Transportation reported 242 fatal large truck accidents in 2009. More than two-thirds of these deadly collisions occurred in rural areas and were mainly attributed to inattentive driving, unsafe speeds -- whether too slow or too fast -- and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Nationwide, the number of large truck fatalities has trended downward over the past five years, due in part to safer driving. But experts think more still needs to be done.
Truck Safety Recommendations
The National Transportation Safety Board recommended a list of ways to improve large truck safety after investigating a deadly crash in 2009, when a semi carrying petroleum gas rolled over and exploded.
Some of the board's recommendations, which are still not implemented, include:
- Require the Federal Highway Administration to evaluate design characteristics of heavy trucks specific to rollover thresholds and identify existing locations where truck drivers are most at risk to rollover
- Require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to mandate stability control systems on all tanker rigs, new and old
- Ensure that all trucks exceeding 10,000 pounds comply with performance standards
Careful driving remains the safest solution, though. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident with a careless driver, consider speaking to a personal injury attorney with experience in motor-vehicle accidents to discuss any legal claims you may have.
Article provided by Law Office of Julie Johnson, PLLC
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