A Kentucky traffic accident is a sudden, violent collision that always harms property and often harms people. Each accident is different, of course, and truck accidents have the added power of increased force and weight. Truckers are trained professionals, but they face the pressure of time constraints, long hours behind the wheel and variable weather in the mountains and hills of Kentucky.
Trucking accidents by definition are cataclysmic events, resulting in the collision of a vehicle that could weigh as much as 18,000 pounds. GTG Technology Group has identified the five most common causes of trucking accidents. Driver error tops the list, but in 81% of the cases the error is made by the driver of a passenger vehicle; in only 22% of cases is the error the result of the trucker. The next two causes of trucking accidents involve equipment failure and poor maintenance of the rig. The accident could be the result of failure by the manufacturer of equipment or by inaction or inattention of a mechanic. Inclement weather such as rain, snow or ice often results in a trucker jackknifing and leaving the road surface. Finally, improper cargo loading has the potential to cause truck accidents, too.
When it comes to truck accidents, the driver of the smaller vehicle is likely to be the one injured or killed. According to information found at CDL Knowledge, 69% of deaths in large truck crashes were from those riding in a passenger vehicle. Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists represented 15% of deaths, while truck drivers or occupants made up 16% of deaths. The majority (83%) of fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on weekdays.
