Truck crashes are horrifying for those who are involved, because there’s no way to be sure of survival. When it’s two smaller vehicles colliding, the people in each vehicle have a chance, but the reality is that a large vehicle against a small vehicle can result in carnage.
Driving trucks can be inherently more dangerous than other occupations due to the stressors involved in their work. They’re expected to work long hours. They drive what could be extremely boring routes. They have few breaks, and even when they do have them, some people choose to continue driving. Some drivers falsify their logs, while others only rest the bare minimum despite knowing they need more recovery time.
Knowing this, you should be aware that some truck drivers are more likely to cause crashes than others. Some common causes of truck crashes include:
- Drowsiness from long shifts
- Daydreaming
- Distractions from eating behind the wheel
- Distractions from talking to others over the CB radio
- Falling asleep behind the wheel
- Texting and driving
- Inputting information into a GPS
…and there are many others.
What can you do to help prevent truck crashes?
You may know that trucks are common on Interstate 75 and up through Cincinnati, and you also know that the traffic can be extremely backed up. With heavy traffic and trucks combined, there is a high risk of being hit by someone who isn’t paying enough attention.
To help prevent truck crashes in that scenario, the best thing to do is to give drivers plenty of room. Try to leave space between yourself and the vehicle in front of you, so that a rear-end collision with your vehicle won’t end up causing a chain reaction.
If you see a vehicle headed toward you too quickly, use your horn. While there’s no guarantee, it could be enough to get the driver to notice and stop their vehicle in time to prevent a crash.
Better yet, if you have the option, avoid driving alongside trucks or other large vehicles, even when traffic is slow or backed up. If the driver can’t see you, they may try to pull into your lane, which could cause a crash.
Potentially the most important thing to do is to report any driver who is not being safe. If a truck driver is speeding, seems drowsy or is reckless, call the police so that they can get them off the road.