Safety cannot be stressed enough for big-rig truck drivers

Safety cannot be stressed enough for big-rig truck drivers
Mar 18 2021

Big-rig truck drivers understand their work responsibilities. They might start their days picking up goods, material and cargo from retail suppliers, manufacturers, grocery distribution centers and agricultural facilities to transport them to their next destinations.

But they also must understand their safety responsibilities. While hauling freight and cargo these colossal vehicles weigh several tons, posing potential dangers to other motorists. What are the chances of a regular-sized vehicle coming through unscathed in a collision with a large truck? Extremely slim. Occupants of these smaller vehicles often can expect catastrophic or fatal injuries in such an accident.

Truck accidents claimed 177 three years ago in state

Numbers do not lie related to the dangers caused by large trucks on the nation’s roads. For 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) disclosed that:

  • A total of 4,951 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving large trucks.
  • Roughly 151,000 people sustained injuries in accidents that involved large trucks.
  • A total of 71% of the fatal victims were occupants of vehicles other than the large truck.
  • Large truck occupants accounted for 18% of the people killed in such accidents.
  • And 3 percent of the truck drivers involved in fatal collisions were drunk.

In North Carolina, a total of 177 people died in 168 crashes that involved large trucks in 2018. NHTSA statistics showed that 8% of the state’s 2,065 fatal road accidents involved these big-rig trucks.

Safety within the trucking industry and among their drivers cannot be stressed enough. These jobs can be grueling, working long days as fatigue sets in due to strict deadlines imposed on truck drivers. A focus on safety can only help large trucks continue to coexist on the roads with other vehicles. And the drivers of those smaller vehicles will gain some peace of mind, though continue to remain cautious.

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