If you were asked to say where you believe that the majority of truck crashes occur, you’d probably say on an interstate. The truth is that nearly two-thirds of truck accidents happen in parking lots though.
Most of these crashes involve truckers colliding with fixed objects. Others occur when truckers attempt to put down or pull up their lift gates or when they attempt to back up toward a dock.
According to the Heavy Duty Trucking TruckingInfo website, most parking lot crashes that truckers become involved in occur because they are rushing and are inattentive. At least 30 percent of them involve a truck crashing into a fixed object. Drivers are frequently in a hurry because they’re assigned as many as 18 deliveries a day, with as many as three being assigned within the same two-hour time window.
Truckers most often strike awnings, other trailers or vehicles when they collide with fixed or stationary objects. Industry analysts suggest that these can be greatly avoided. To avoid them, they suggest that a trucker needs to approach their target destination more slowly and scan the area that they’re looking to pull into thoroughly as well.
While 30 percent of all truck accidents occur while truckers are backing up, they’re completely preventable. Some of the objects most commonly struck by tractor-trailers operators while backing up include awnings, poles and other narrow objects and passenger vehicles.
Industry analysts suggest that the best way truckers can avoid a crash while backing up is to follow the golden rule of trucking. It involves them simply getting out and looking.
Fleet companies can help their drivers avoid these types of crashes by including a second driver on their trucks to serve as a spotter. They may also encourage their driver to communicate with their customer to learn a different way to approach their facility to make a delivery without having to back up.
The problem with trucks is that they’re already heavy as is. When you add in the weight of a delivery, anything it strikes is likely to be seriously injured or killed. Proving trucker negligence necessary to recover compensation for medical or funeral bills is best handled by a Houston truck accident attorney who has experience negotiating with trucking companies.
