National Safety Month: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Slow to Make Changes as Deadly Truck Crashes Increase

It seems as if the number of truck accidents goes up every year. And the statistics back this up. The number of large truck accidents went up between 2017 and 2018 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While the numbers did not go up exponentially, they did increase. There were about 5,000 people killed in truck accidents in 2018. This was 46 more than the year before. And, about 80% of the deaths were suffered by people in passenger vehicles hit by these trucks. Only 885 of the people killed in these crashes were the truck drivers. What this shows is that it is more often than not the person in the car or SUV who is killed – not the truck driver. Since many of these crashes are caused by the truck driver, these numbers are skewed too far in one direction. Thousands of innocent victims are being hurt or killed by truck drivers every year. Despite these numbers, the NHTSA has not really implemented any special safety precautions.

May is National Safety Month so what better time to highlight this issue than now? With the rising number of truck accidents, truck accident attorneys in Birmingham have to wonder why there aren’t more safety tools put into place. Here, we’ll talk about what some of the common causes of truck accidents are. We’ll also highlight some of the safety tools that the NHTSA has put into place over the years. However, clearly, more needs to be done. As long as the number of truck accident fatalities continues to rise, it is safe to say that not enough is being done in the way of prevention. If you or your loved one have been involved in a large truck accident in Alabama, you need to call our office right away.

Why is the Number of Truck Accidents on the Rise in Alabama?

Most truck accidents are caused by truck drivers. That may sound cold, but it’s the truth. The most common causes of truck accidents include:

• Driver fatigue
• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Backing into another vehicle
• Driving inexperience
• Overloaded trucks

Almost all of these things are within the control of the truck driver or the trucking company. That’s why it can be frustrating to see that the federal government hasn’t put stricter safety guidelines into place. That is not to say that there are no safety guidelines today. There are. However, there is clearly a need for stricter rules and policies if they want to decrease the number of people killed in large truck accidents in this country.

There are Safety Guidelines Currently in Place

It wouldn’t be fair to say that there are no federal guidelines in place to prevent large truck accidents. However, there aren’t nearly enough. Here are some of the recent initiatives put into place to decrease the number of large truck accidents:

• Increased safety training required
• Telematics and prediction tools being used to prevent accidents
• Real-time monitoring of driver behavior
• Collision avoidance technology

While these things help reduce the number of accidents, more needs to be done. If you’ve been injured in any sort of truck accident, call and talk to a lawyer right away to protect your rights.

Call and Talk to a Truck Accident Attorney in Birmingham, Alabama

Truck accidents tend to be some of the most dangerous accidents of all. Many people hit by a large truck or tractor-trailer do not survive the crash. The impact of a large truck is just too great for the average person to survive. Even if you do survive the crash, you’ll be dealing with very serious injuries. You may even end up permanently disabled or paralyzed after the accident. If this is the case, you and your family may be entitled to damages.

Call and talk to an experienced truck accident lawyer in Birmingham at Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton right away. You can schedule your free initial consultation right away. This way, you can sit down with someone who’s handled cases like yours before. They can answer any questions you might have. They can also give you an idea of what your case may be worth. Schedule your free initial consultation today. If you aren’t able to come to the office, we can come to you. Or, we can arrange to do a telephone consultation. Either way, the initial meeting is free and you won’t have to pay a dime until you win or settle your case.