TRUCK HAZARDS ON AMERICAN HIGHWAYS

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Truck driving is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States, according to a report from the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2015, 745 drivers were killed on the job, which is a slight drop from the previous year when 761 drivers were killed. Despite the drop, trucking transportation occupations account for a little more than a quarter of all work-related fatalities. Over the past 5 years, truck driver fatalities have risen by over 11%.

Amazon and other companies and the increased reliance on trucking to transport goods to major cities has put more drivers on the road than ever before. Couple that with the demand for rapid delivery and you get a higher number of accidents and driver deaths.

Unlike other occupations, truck drivers have very little control of their environment. Road hazards, poor weather conditions, and other drivers are a constant danger to truck drivers. Trucking companies don’t help the cause either, as they constantly force their drivers to break regulations and drive for longer hours than is legal.

Another problem are the trucks themselves. Many trucking companies don’t regularly maintain the vehicles and allow them to go on the road defective. A poorly maintained truck could have a tire explode, causing it to flip over, at no fault of the driver. If trucking companies do a poor job of loading cargo into the trailers, this can make the truck harder to control. At high speeds, the truck driver would have a harder time braking because of improperly loaded cargo.

Due to all of this, commercial truck drivers are about 7 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than other drivers. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a truck accident, please contact our Kansas City truck accident attorneys at Sanders.Law today.

Call (816) 844-6938 or contact us online for a free consultation.

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