When a truck accident occurs there are a number of parties who could be held responsible. In the main however it is the trucking company which is going to be accused, and more often than not it is their insurers who will foot the bill. Speaking to a truck accident lawyer, we understands that there are only a small percentage of road accidents which involve trucks, around the 12% mark, they are in the 30-40% region when it comes to serious injuries and fatalities on the road. The onus therefore is every much on the employers of truck drivers to make sure that these accidents happen less and less, and this is what they can do to ensure that this is the case.
Tire Focus
Of all the reasons for truck accidents, it is tires which are causing the biggest problems. In fact 31% of all truck accidents last year happen because of tires blowing out or malfunctioning. What is critical for trucking companies here is that they have a great manufacturer for their tires and that they ramp up the number of checks which are being carried out on the inflation and the thread of the tires. Blowouts can happen for a number of reasons whilst the truck is on the road, but the employers should ensure that it is not down to something which they have missed.
Better Working Conditions and Pay
Driver fatigue plays a key role in the number of accidents involving trucks, and there is much more that should be done by employers to reduce this. Truckers know that they shouldn’t drive too much or drive when tired, but they do so in order to make more money. It is up to the employers to pay the truckers a good salary and give them fixed working hours so that this kind of thing doesn’t happen anymore.
Additionally many of the truckers who cause accidents when they are under the influence, take drugs so that they can stay up for longer when they are on the road, again to make more money. In improving pay and working conditions truckers will not have to work longer hours, or practice habits which help them do so.
Invest in Technology
There is general a 20 to 30 foot blind spot at the back and the front of a truck, which other road users are usually unaware of. This is a perfect example of where technology can be used to help truckers to drive better when they are on the road. The more that trucking companies invest in technology, the lower the accidents which we are going to see. Another example of this can be found in the cargo in the back, which if left unsecured can certainly cause a number of accidents. Using tech this can be identified very quickly and fixed before it costs people their life.
This is what we believe that trucking company employers can be doing in order to maximize safety for all road users.
