7 Reasons Why Florida is Prone to Truck Accidents

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Big rigs are a common sight on Florida highways, whether you’re zooming down the highway or driving on city streets. Drivers should leave truckers enough room because a collision with a tractor-trailer can result in severe injuries, paralysis, or even an early death for passengers of a smaller car. Despite several safety improvements to lower crash risks, Truck Accidents still happen often, which is regrettable. The victims of trucking accidents in Florida should be aware of what they need to do following a truck accident to successfully claim compensation. So that they can minimize the consequences of truck accidents. Why do these mishaps continue to occur?

Every driver is aware of the dangers of driving too close to delivery trucks, garbage trucks, or 18-wheelers. While lengthy trailers have several blind spots where vehicles can be sideswiped or stuck against guardrails, large trucks driving at high speeds have an impact force that is many times greater than that of smaller cars. Truck accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, but there are a few frequent causes of these collisions, such as:

Distracted Driving

The majority of a trucker’s life is spent on the road. Many are compelled to eat, drink, and conduct other activities while driving in order to adhere to their deadlines. Unfortunately, multitasking causes drivers to lose focus on their surroundings and endangers other road users. Talking on a cell phone, texting, browsing social media, and even viewing movies are some of the worst distractions. Despite the fact that the majority of distracting activities are forbidden by federal shipping regulations, accidents caused by these factors nonetheless happen often.

Inadequate truck maintenance

Drivers must legally conduct safety checks on their vehicles prior to each trip, and trucking companies are accountable for sending out their drivers with fully functional rigs. Despite these requirements, many trucks on American roads have worn tires, subpar electrical systems, insufficient brakes, and other parts that are prone to unexpected failure.

Drunk drivers

In addition to relying on prescription painkillers and other prescriptions to continue working, many truck drivers utilize stimulants to keep awake. To deal with boredom or pain, some truck drivers may even drink while operating a vehicle, endangering others.

Laden down trailers

Despite rigorous restrictions on the amount of cargo a truck can carry, some businesses intentionally overload their fleets in order to travel less frequently. A vehicle’s equilibrium is significantly impacted by overloading, making it more difficult for the driver to maneuver or stop quickly.

Sleepy driving

A driver’s reflexes and response time can easily be slowed down by fatigue after spending a lot of time behind the wheel. Federal restrictions were implemented to ensure truck drivers take regular rest intervals because they were so likely to fall asleep at the wheel. Although it is against the law for truckers to forego their required driving breaks, many will do so in order to complete deliveries more quickly. Drivers are frequently compensated extra for completing deliveries quickly, so putting profit over safety puts them and other drivers in danger.

Negligent driving

Truckers who follow stringent rest break regulations sometimes believe they have no choice but to speed or run red lights to make up time. Truck drivers who are under time constraints may become agitated or stressed out and engage in dangerous driving behaviors such as tailgating, lane changes without using turn signals, and neglecting to yield to motorists merging onto and off highways.

Weather conditions

Driving is challenging in bad weather for those operating both large and small vehicles. Roads that are slippery from rain or ice may make it difficult for drivers to operate their vehicles and see properly around them. Similarly, fog reduces truck drivers’ visibility, making it difficult for them to see nearby smaller vehicles, especially at night.

Conclusion

Negligence on the part of the truck driver or the trucking firm causes many truck accidents. Contact a lawyer if you have been the victim of a trucking accident. 

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