The last three months of the year always see more truck accidents. While many causes exist, including bad weather and a spike in holiday DUIs, cars aren’t the only ones getting into crashes. Trucking accidents also increase around this time of year, often with fatal consequences. But why does fall mean more truck crashes? Let’s take a closer look to find out.
Contributing Factors
The holiday season means trucking companies are working around the clock to deliver all their packages on time. This means more truckers on the road working longer hours. That, combined with severe driver shortages and other contributing factors, is a tremendous driving force behind the spike in truck accidents at this time of year.
Some of the more direct causes include:
- Inclement Weather: Winter weather and high winds significantly contribute to truck crashes, especially since trucks are more prone to causing a crash when they hydroplane or jackknife. According to the Federal Highway Administration, as much as 20% of single-vehicle truck accidents are due to weather.
- Fatigue: Federal hours-of-service (HoS) limits prevent truck drivers from working more than 11 hours in a 24-hour cycle. At the same time, those longer sessions are typically reserved for cross-country haulers; the holiday season pressures many more drivers to work the maximum amount per day. This can potentially lead to driver fatigue and even falling asleep at the wheel.
- Pressure From Management: Hours of service are only part of the problem. The holiday rush and demanding supervisors make many truck drivers feel pressure to bend the rules both in their driving and in their HoS limits. This leads some truck drivers to speed, make risky driving maneuvers, or even go beyond their hours of service limits to deliver packages on time. That reckless behavior, combined with driver inexperience, is a recipe for disaster and another contributing factor leading to the 30% increase in truck accidents around the holiday season.
If you or someone you love were seriously injured in a truck accident, don’t hesitate to call Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers as the experience you can trust. Contact our firm at (318) 221-1508 to speak with our legal team today during a no-fee, no-obligation consultation.
