Transport Accidents

• 1 Nov, 2024
• By CK Leach

Accidents involving large commercial trucks, such as tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers, can cause severe damage and are often more catastrophic than car accidents, even though they occur less frequently. Both truck drivers and those in smaller vehicles face significant risks when sharing the road with these large vehicles.

Trucks can be 20 to 30 times heavier than smaller cars, and they take up to 40% longer to stop. They also often carry dangerous materials like toxic chemicals and flammable liquids.

When a truck crashes, it can have serious consequences. While trucking accidents happen less often than car accidents, the outcomes can be much worse, sometimes leading to multiple deaths from a single accident. Our investigations into these crashes show that the working conditions for truck drivers aren’t always safe or legal.

• Truck accidents have high risk in for death – The likelihood of a fatality is high when a transport truck is involved. According to data, the fatality rate is approximately 4 times higher than cars per distance travelled.
  
• Occupants of vehicles included suffer more – In cases where a passenger vehicle and a transport truck crash, 97% of deaths were the occupants of the smaller passenger vehicles.
  
• Overworked drivers are a risk – There are laws in place to mitigate driver fatigue and reduce risk on the road. In Canada, a driver is limited to a maximum of 13 hours of driving in one day (or within on work shift). However, statistics show a high percentage of drivers violate this law on a regular basis.
  
• Substance abuse – Due to stress, isolation and the need to stay alert for long hours, truck drivers sometimes resort to mood altering substances to help stay on track. Drugs, alcohol or other caffeine relate substances have a huge negative impact over time and decrease awareness and response time to emergency situations.
  
• Transporting hazardous materials – Trucks hauling explosive or corrosive hazardous materials is common, and accidents involving such materials carry heavy penalties and even criminal charges.

A study from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recognized excessive speed, being overly tired, and alcohol inebriation as the three leading contributors that greatly increase the chances of a semi-truck being involved in a serious accident. More often than not, when a tractor-trailer, as opposed to some other vehicle, is the one causing the mishap, the nature of the event is generally one of these three;

• Truck leaves their lane to enter another lane or travels off the road.
• Driver loses control due to speed, cargo shifting, system failure, poor road conditions or something else.
• Truck collides with another vehicle, runs through debris, or some other type of material on the road.

It is important to take measures on risk mitigation in transport trucking since this ensures the safety of every person who is using the road.  The primary goal, outside of on-time delivery, is to protect lives and help prevent devastating accidents. By minimizing risk factors such as driver fatigue, speeding, as well as impaired driving, the trucking industry is making sure that the roads are more secure and that there is accountability and safety in the society. In addition to personal and product safety, risk reduction measures help in improving the logistics processes which increases reliability for customers and restores the public faith in the industry. Preventive strategies are important to not only trucking companies and their clients but to the community as well where these companies operate. We are all responsible for keeping a safe and effective industry.