Deadly Trucker Risks: Distraction and Drowsiness

Recently, an 18-wheeler headed southbound on Route 394 near south suburban Crete T-boned a car headed eastbound on Steger Road. According to witnesses, the truck driver ran a red light right before colliding with the car, killing its driver, 32-year-old Kelle Ill. The semi driver was not injured. The cause of the crash remains uncertain and reports from investigators are pending.

Large commercial trucks present a unique danger on the road because of their size, weight and lengthy stopping distance. Unfortunately, fatal accidents involving large commercial trucks are far too common. Government data indicates that 11 percent of the 37,200 people killed on U.S. roadways in 2009 died in accidents involving large trucks. Two leading causes of these accidents are driver distraction and driver fatigue.

Dangerous Truck Driver Behavior

According to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study, funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, texting truckers are 23 times as likely as non-texting truck drivers to be involved in a crash or near miss. Video cameras mounted in the rigs showed that in 4.6 out of the six seconds leading up to a crash or near miss, texting drivers were looking at the device and not at the road. According to Rich Hanowski, director of the institute's Center for Truck and Bus Safety, anything longer than two seconds is dangerous.

Driver fatigue also plays a significant role in many crashes. Combination-unit trucks were involved in an average of 3,132 fatal crashes annually from 1992 to 1996. Of these, drowsiness was cited as a driver-related factor in 11 percent of the cases where the truck driver was the sole fatality and one percent of the cases where someone other than the truck driver died. However, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) believes drowsiness or fatigue actually plays a larger role than the data indicates, as it is difficult to identify signs of drowsiness accurately after a crash.

Help Is Available

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident involving an 18-wheeler, contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. A lawyer experienced in handling truck accident claims can assess your case and help you receive the compensation you deserve. To learn more, contact a personal injury attorney today.