Fatigued Driving. Most truck drivers have to drive long distances for many hours at night with little rest. Even with federal rules requiring that truck drivers take mandatory breaks, some truck companies demand that their goods arrive within a short time. Subsequently, drivers find themselves under a lot of pressure to fulfill deadlines, skimping on sleep to make sure they reach their destinations as quickly as possible. Consequently, these overworked drivers lack sleep, which causes them to lose coordination and concentration and sometimes fall asleep behind the wheel.
Minimal Driver Training. Although truck drivers must put in a certain threshold of training hours to meet minimum requirements to drive huge commercial vehicles on the roads, not all drivers follow these guidelines. Instead, poorly trained truck drivers with little experience behind the wheel wind up taking the road.
Truck Maintenance Issues. Trucking companies and owners must ensure that their trucks are in good working condition before they hit the road. However, many companies do not get these proper checkups, because of the costs involved and the time it takes to maintain their trucks. This often leads to truck maintenance issues that can cause serious collisions.
Intoxicated Driving. Unfortunately, many truck drivers admit to driving while intoxicated. These substances not only reduce brain function but also can impair reasoning, muscle coordination, and thinking, all of which prove essential to operating a vehicle safely. However, more importantly, not only can illegal drugs and alcohol lead to crashes on the road, but also some prescription drugs that drivers may take can also affect judgment and coordination, which can lead to traffic accidents.
Distracted Driving. As truck drivers clock in long hours over thousands of miles, drivers may get bored on the road. This can lead to distracted driving, which often results in devastating accidents and numerous fatalities. Some of the more common examples of distracted driving include eating while driving, texting and driving, and talking on the phone while driving.
Excessive Speeding. Truck drivers always strive to get to their destinations as quickly as possible. However, sometimes factors, such as bad traffic, can cause delays, especially at locations such as Delmar Boulevard in University City, which is known for traffic that results from the abundance of motorists and pedestrians in the area. Due to the pressure that truck drivers face to meet deadlines, drivers try to make up for this lost time by speeding and overtaking other vehicles. However, when truck drivers speed, they may struggle to stop in time to avoid hazards, which can lead to horrifying crashes.