Truck drivers deliver a wide variety of goods and services. Because of the variation, it’s crucial for the trucks to be loaded properly. When improper techniques are used, truck accidents are a real possibility. Trucking companies and truckers should be aware of the federal laws regarding loading. It’s also important to understand the type of truck that needs to be used for the service or product that’s being hauled. When the laws aren’t abided by and incorrect loading techniques are used, other travelers can end up seriously injured or worse.

Trucks are the heartbeat of America’s highways. 18-wheelers cross the highways and boulevards of the nation, bringing goods to local consumers. Since they are an important part of commerce, there are thousands of big rigs on the roads every day.

Because of the omnipresence of truckers on the roads, trucker safety is extremely important. An unsafe trucker can put many lives at risk. The sheer size and weight of the vehicle makes it more likely to cause substantial damage to other vehicles on the road. When a trucker causes injury to an otherwise safe driver because of some negligence, injured parties may endeavor to hold him or her responsible for the harm they cause.

Truck accidents occur far too often

In any given year, hundreds of thousands of accidents involving large trucks occur on the nation’s roadways, including many here in Mississippi. Numerous truck drivers suffer injuries or die in these accidents right along with other motorists.

Like anyone else on the road, truck drivers may drive at least 10 miles over the speed limit on occasion. Considering that these large vehicles don’t exactly stop on a dime, this behavior puts lives at risk.

Truckers also drive for many hours a day, and they are likely to suffer from common risks such as drowsy driving and distracted driving. Visual, manual and cognitive distractions can contribute to the likelihood of an accident. Text messaging, typically illegal in all states, is especially dangerous because it combines all types of distraction.

Too many trucking companies fail to provide their drivers with written safety policies to help keep them from engaging in risky driving behaviors as they travel the country’s roadways.

Fostering safety  

Law enforcement, trucking agencies and truckers themselves can come together to ensure greater safety on the roads. Truckers have families at home waiting on them, and the other drivers on the road hope to come home to their families as well. Distracted driving and other unsafe driving behaviors do not only affect the person operating the vehicle. It can also mean life or death for other innocent people.

In a perfect world, everyone would embrace safe driving practices so that everyone makes it home each day, but sadly, such a world does not exist. If you suffered injuries, or lost a loved one, due to the neglectful actions of a truck driver, you have the right to seek legal recourse.

You are not alone if you feel nervous and intimidated sharing the road with big rigs. When a truck passes you on the left, you may wonder if the driver will see you before moving the truck back into your lane. When a big truck follows too closely behind you, you may worry about what might happen if you should have to stop suddenly.

If you or a loved one has recently experienced the trauma of an accident with a tractor-trailer, you may have special reasons to feel vulnerable on the highways. Still, about 25 percent of all motorists report discomfort when driving around large trucks. In response to this, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently issued a report about the benefits of new safety devices in trucks.