Large commercial trucks play a big part in the economy by transporting crucial cargo across the United States every day. Trucks do pose a number of dangers, however, because their size can cause a lot of damage and serious injuries in crashes.

Reducing the number of large truck accidents is the goal of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The FMCSA joined with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to undertake the Large Truck Crash Causation Study. The LTCCS collected data from almost 1,000 large truck crashes that resulted in injuries or fatalities between April 2001 and December 2003. The study named a number of large truck safety issues that can lead to crashes.

According to the study, driver fatigue is arguably the most important cause of large truck crashes. U.S. commercial truck drivers are required to comply with federal hours-of-service rules, which limits the amount of time truckers can drive to reduce fatigue and result in fewer crashes. But many drivers push those limits to make deliveries. Large trucks must maintain vehicle maintenance to drive safely on the roads. Defective components such as brakes, tires and steering are often cited as contributing factors in causing truck crashes.

Large truck design features such as load capacity, blind spots and overall truck visibility to other drivers affect a truck’s safety. The drivers need to be adequately licensed, trained and experienced in order to drive on U.S. roads. Monitoring truck drivers to ensure they are actively licensed as well as their driving history records to ensure that problematic drivers stay off the roads is important to truck safety.

Driver performance plays an important role in maintaining truck safety. A trucker’s ability to maintain the correct speed, recognize danger and act properly in all driving settings are all factors in reducing the risks of crashes.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can assess your case and help you get the compensation for your injuries you deserve. For more information, contact an attorney today.