Ohio highways are some of the busiest in the nation. Our unique location, connecting the Northeast to the Midwest, means that our roads and interstates are filled with tractor trailers transporting goods of all kinds – often at high rates of speed. It is not unusual to see accidents involving these big rigs frequenting the local news headlines. When a tractor trailer accident occurs, such as the one involving a single rig that overturned on I-90 recently, other motorists can be affected for hours afterwards as crews clean up the roadway. Extra care is necessary at these times to prevent follow-up accidents from occurring. Fortunately, in this case, no injuries resulted from the initial accident, no further accidents occurred afterwards, and the roadways were back to normal by the next morning.
Truck Crashes and Fatalities
Statistics show that when fatalities result from crashes involving large trucks, most often it is not the truck driver that dies, but those in the passenger cars involved. It makes sense that this is the case, just because of the sheer size difference between the vehicles alone. Passenger vehicles are just a fraction of the size of a tractor trailer and are dwarfed in comparison when considering the vehicle weights. Tractor trailers’ size and weight contributes greatly to braking capacity and, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute, a tractor trailer can take 20 to 40 percent farther to stop than a car; this is even greater when road conditions or poor vehicle conditions are a factor. Another factor that has been found to contribute significantly to truck crashes is fatigue. Though there are regulations in effect that limit the number of hours a truck driver is allowed to drive without taking a break, and maximum hours that drivers are permitted to drive per week, these regulations are often ignored, which leads directly to driver fatigue.
Accident Trends Show Some General Improvement Over Time
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute notes that, in 2014, one in 10 highway fatalities involved an accident in which a large truck was involved. There is some good news provided by this organization, however, in that the trends over time do indicate generally lower numbers of deaths resulting from large truck crashes over the last 10 to 15 years. Even one death is too many, of course, but given that the amount of traffic on the highways increases continually, the lower accident numbers are a positive note.
In the Event of an Accident, Contact the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers
If you have been involved in an accident, whether it involved a large truck, tractor trailer, or other type of vehicle, the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers is ready to help you with your case. With years of experience handling all types of traffic accident cases, we know the best way to handle your case to help you get the best recovery possible. No matter what unique facts your case may involve, our Toledo car wreck legal professionals are dedicated to the successful resolution of your matter. Let our attorneys help you to get what you deserve – contact us today for your free case review.
