Large trucks pose a host of safety issues on the road, and increase the risk for both passenger vehicle occupants and the truck drivers themselves. Unfortunately, there is a trend of overworking that makes truck accidents more likely to happen. Truck drivers are often faced with shifts that are much too long; it is not uncommon for truck drivers to drive 14 hours at a time, sometimes overnight. Despite that these factors pose a serious safety risk, there is no sign that this trend is coming to an end.
The trucking lifestyle is risky for people on the road and also for truck drivers. High blood pressure, heart attacks, cancer and diabetes are just a few conditions that truck drivers are at high risk for. In fact, the life expectancy for truck drivers is 61 years, 16 years less than the average for non-truck drivers.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, about 1 in 10 highway deaths occur in a crash involving a large truck. This is not surprising when you consider that trucks are 20-30 times larger than regular vehicles, have a less forgiving brake capacity, and that a loaded tractor-trailer can take 20-40 percent farther than cars to reach a full stop. The breaking length becomes even greater if the ground is slippery or wet.
Deaths from truck accidents have increased in recent years. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the number of truck accident fatalities increased for the second consecutive year in 2011. Specifically, a 20 percent increase in the truck occupant fatality category was seen.
Unfortunately, Florida is no stranger to fatal truck accidents. In December 2013 alone, there were two deadly highway crashes involving trucks. One accident occurred on Christmas Eve, when a loaded fuel truck on I-95 attempted to change lanes behind an unloaded tractor-trailer truck. The tanker hit the rear of the other truck, causing that truck to lose control, overturn, and ignite. Just days before, a deadly collision involving multiple vehicles occurred on Nassau’s Route 301, leaving one truck driver dead and another critically injured.
A number of highways in Florida appear to be involved in more motor vehicle crashes than other roads. Florida’s Interstate-95 has been dubbed the most dangerous road in America by the National Safety Commission. Because I-95 is the longest north to south interstate highway in the US, it is likely that the crashes occur due to tourist drivers who are not familiar with the road. The Interstate 4-I-4 and I-75 are two of the other most dangerous roads in Florida. I-4-I-4 is en route to the state’s popular theme parks, including Disney World and Universal Studios, while I-75 goes through Jackson, Tallahassee, Alabama, and Georgia.
