More than 15 billion deliveries were made last year. The average time per delivery was 12 minutes.
The unprecedented demand for the shipment of goods, particularly in the segment of the industry known as the “last mile,” has put a growing number of delivery trucks and commercial drivers in our neighborhoods.
It has also led to an explosion in the number of independent commercial carriers on our roads, including those delivering for Amazon. In fact, our trucking injury lawyers in Chillicothe note many large carriers like FedEx and UPS, have turned to rental trucks to meet delivery demand at peak times, including the long holiday shopping season.
By 2020, there were nearly 1 million private carriers operating in the United States. Combined with the trucker shortage, the large number of carriers adds to the collision risks on our roads. But there is another issue of equal importance: The care, maintenance and inspection of such a diverse fleet of commercial motor vehicles.
Brake Issues & Trucking Accidents
By some estimates, brake deficiencies or failure are involved in nearly one-third of all semi truck accidents. Some of the leading causes include:
Air-Brake Failure: On a tractor trailer, a compressor feeds air pressure to tanks, which power the brakes. If a driver overuses the brakes, air pressure can deplete, resulting in brake failure and a runaway truck.
Poor maintenance: The pressure to keep trucks on the road, and an emphasis on profits, can mean trucks or trailers forego routine maintenance.
Unsafe driving: Trucks take much longer to stop than a passenger car. Following too closely, or exceeding a safe speed, can result in a truck being unable to stop in time to avoid a collision.
Driver error: In many cases, the consequences of drowsy driving, distracted driving, or driving under the influence of prescription or illegal narcotics, may be blamed on faulty brakes.
Poor Maintenance Causes Trucking Accidents
A look at the top causes of Ohio trucking accidents reveals how easy it is to cover up the true cause by blaming brake failure:
Non-Performance: Reasons included sleep, medically disabled, or intoxicated.
Recognition: Distracted drivers and driver’s who otherwise failed to respond to unfolding conditions.
Decision: Often included forms of aggressive driving, including following too closely, speed, and failure to signal.
Performance: Panic and overcompensation, as well as driver inexperience, were top causes blamed on driver performance.
Your experienced Chillicothe trucking accident attorneys must carefully review all of the facts and circumstances surrounding your collision to determine the true causes of the accident. In many cases, faulty brakes may prove to be an excuse for bad driving. In other cases, bad brakes may be wholly or partly to blame.
Other common maintenance issues that result in trucking accidents include:
Bad Tires: Either improperly inflated tires, or badly worn or defective tires, can result in a serious trucking accident. This is a common issue on trailers, which are often swapped among trucks with little inspection or routine maintenance.
Alignment: Like tires, bad axle alignment can result in vibrations, uneven wear, and other conditions that can result in an accident.
Overheating: Trucks can face drastically changing conditions over the course of a workday. From deserts to snowy highways, from empty runs to overloaded trailers, and from flat highways to winding mountain passes. Overheating is a common issue often caused by lack of routine maintenance.
Oil and fluid leaks: Trucks run on fluids. While diesel is essential, so are a number of other critical fluids, including antifreeze, motor oil, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and a host of other greases and lubricants. Failure to perform proper preventive maintenance can result in serious safety issues.
Faulty lights: Lights are another overlooked maintenance area that can result in a collision. In many cases, swapping trailers can result in inoperative tail lights or brake lights. In other cases, inoperative headlights or cab lighting can cause or contribute to a serious or fatal collision.
Identifying all of the facts and circumstances that contribute to a collision is the first step when it comes to building a comprehensive claim for damages.
If you are involved in a collision with a commercial vehicle, contact the Warren Law Firm. Image by @zetong.
