Truck accidents can pose a real threat to others on the road in Georgia. Because of the size and weight of these large vehicles, those involved in a crash with a semi-truck are far more likely to suffer serious injuries or even fatalities. Some statistics have indicated that large truck crashes are on the rise, prompting concerns. Now, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced that it is planning its first major study of tractor-trailer collisions in 15 years. The FMCSA study will look at the problems involved in large truck collisions, including the potential influence of mobile devices and distracted driving on trucking accidents.
The FMCSA announced that it is looking into more information on designing and carrying out a large study of all serious truck crashes, particularly those involving injuries, fatalities or towed-away vehicles. The agency announced that it wants to analyze information from the on-board electronics contained in many large trucks that gather information about braking, lane departure and speed of travel. In the FMCSA’s last study of large truck crashes in 2003, it found that when the truck was the cause of the crash, most were due to some kind of driver error.
In other cases, negligent truck maintenance was a problem, with flawed brakes or other mechanisms leading to a serious crash. The agency pointed out that there have been vast improvements in vehicle safety and technology in the ensuing 15 years. Nevertheless, it found that fatal truck accidents have risen over 52% since 2009 and 5.7% in the last three years alone.
While the study is still being planned, negligent and distracted driving can be important factors in severe truck accidents. People who have been injured in a truck crash caused by someone else may work with a personal injury lawyer to seek compensation for their losses.