/24-7PressRelease/ - ORLANDO, FL, July 10, 2008 - Almost every day, the news will report a story about a traffic accident involving a passenger vehicle and a commercial truck. The story rarely has a happy ending. For example, out of 4,432 fatal traffic accidents in Florida in 2003, more than 340 involved tractor-trailers. Here are some additional statistics you may find of interest:
• Average passenger vehicle weighs 3,000 pounds
• Average commercial vehicle weighs 70,000 pounds (loaded)
• Fatalities are usually the driver of the vehicle(s) involved
• Majority of fatal truck accidents occur during the day, Monday through Friday, in rural areas
The Trucking Industry
The United States trucking industry has revenues of more than $600 billion annually and that means that thousands of semi-tractors are on our nations' highways, intra- and interstates every day. They are transporting everything from furniture to food and are a vital part of our national economy. Because of this, the drivers of these commercial vehicles, also known as 18-wheelers, do have state and federal laws they must abide by. These laws govern how they load their trailers, how much the trailers weigh and, in some states, how many trailers can be pulled at a time by one tractor or cab.
What About the Drivers?
The drivers also have guidelines for checking their vehicle and its load prior to departure, how many hours they can drive without a break, and so on. Not following these guidelines can lead to accidents for a variety of reasons.
• Lack of experience driving a commercial vehicle
• Lack of sleep
• Driving too long without a break
• Driving too fast for conditions and/or size of vehicle
• Extended blind spots due to trailer length
• Oversized, overloaded or improperly loaded trailer(s)
Injuries Are Compounded
As with any
vehicle accident, passenger injuries sustained can range in severity. In this case, the fact that the opposing vehicle weighs several tons compounds everything. What might have been a minor case of whiplash in other type of accident could easily become a broken neck, or worse, in an accident involving a commercial truck.
After an accident involving only passenger vehicles, most people just have one other driver and his or her insurance company to deal with. When a tractor-trailer is involved, the number of concerned parties can include the driver, the owner of the rig, the company he or she works for and their insurance companies. It can be daunting, at best, especially if you were seriously injured in the accident.
Please visit the website of
The Florida Firm - specialists in truck accidents in the Orlando, Florida area that know what needs to happen next.
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