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Why Do Truck Accidents Lead To So Many Fatalities?

There are far more cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and sedans on the road in Virginia than tractor-trailers - and yet a disproportionate number of traffic accident fatalities are the result of accidents that involve big rigs and commercial trucks. Let's take a closer look into why trucks are such a deadly danger on America's roads:

· Size and weight. Very simply, trucks are bigger and weight much more than regular cars. During an impact, that weight difference is turned into force - how hard your vehicle is hit. It comes as no surprise that you are more likely to be seriously injured after a collision with a 80,000-pound truck as opposed to a 3,000 pound car. The weight of a truck also makes it more difficult for drivers to stop suddenly or to maneuver out of the way of an obstacle.

· Mechanical problems. We tune our cars somewhat often, with many states requiring an inspection sticker. However, because trucks pull so much weight and because trucks are driven for such long distances, their vehicles need inspections and tune-ups much more often. Their brakes are more likely to wear out. their tires are more likely to blow. In general, their trucks are more likely to suffer from potentially dangerous mechanical problems.

· Fatigue and driver distraction. When we travel in our cars, we are often only a few minutes or hours from our final destination. With truckers, they are on the road for many hours at a time for many days in a row. These long hauls make truck drivers more susceptible to fatigue and to driver distractions and inattention - and inattention can be deadly when you are controlling a 40-ton big rig.

· Blind spots. Because trucks are longer, wider, and bigger than other vehicles on the highway, they can also see much less of the road beside and behind them. When they switch lanes, they must assume there isn't a car in their blind spot - an assumption that can often lead to truck accidents.

· Unreasonable time lines. Many truckers are faced with meeting deadlines for work - getting cargo from one warehouse to another. Unfortunately, making a deadline may mean breaking federal trucking regulations, reckless driving, and speeding.

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