Drivers, passengers and anyone else who takes the Georgia roads is keenly aware of the increased risk of auto accidents. Particularly, truck crashes are growing more prevalent. Various entities are so concerned about this rising problem that they are striving to make major improvements in the new year.
This latest attempt comes as statistics and anecdotal evidence show that the roads are getting worse. Regardless of how vigilant and cautious people are when sharing the road with a large truck, there are some accidents that are unavoidable. Knowing what is being done to try and improve safety goes beyond preventing accidents. It gives people a guideline of what to look for as to why an accident did happen.
What attempted improvements are in store for 2023?
The statistics for truck accidents are troubling. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2021 was the worst year for U.S. road safety in 16 years. Of those crashes, the numbers for the first nine months of the year showed trucks were involved in crashes in which more than 3,700 people lost their lives. This was 13% more than the prior year. It was consistent with the overall problem of drivers speeding more often. Deaths in which speed was a factor had risen by 5%.
In July of 2022, Operation Safe Driver Week was implemented by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. This was done with several goals in mind. Drivers were stopped for violations and their rigs were checked for potential dangers. It also served to provide information on what law enforcement and regulatory entities need to look for.
The worst issue was speeding in various forms. It included going beyond the speed limit and driving too fast based on the road conditions. Nearly 2,600 warnings and almost 1,500 citations were given. Next came truckers ignoring traffic control devices—in other words, red lights and other ways in which traffic is controlled. There were 944 warnings. Distracted driving elicited 215 warnings and 239 citations.
There are hopes that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will usher in improvements in the long term. Also, trucks are being equipped with safety enhancements and technology like automatic braking and more. Cameras are not viewed upon favorably by drivers, but this too can give information as to what a driver was doing when a collision happened.
Even with greater attention to truck safety, people need to be alert
Despite the lofty ambitions of federal regulators, industry experts, truck companies and drivers, the sad reality is that truck accidents are a problem that is unlikely to simply go away. With that will come catastrophic injuries, financial ramifications and long-term concerns that people need to think about.
Keeping a watchful eye on trucks when sharing the road with them might be helpful in avoiding some accidents, but when a collision does happen, people impacted by an accident need to be fully aware of what the future might hold. There are strategies to hold truckers and their employers accountable for mistakes that might have led to a crash.
With all of the potential causes of a truck accident, it is wise to have assistance with taking the necessary steps to making a full recovery. That goes beyond getting medical care and rehabilitation. It extends to receiving suitable compensation for the bills, lost income and damages that came about. For assistance, it is vital to have guidance from those who are experienced in these types of cases, know how to accrue evidence and take the necessary steps to pursue a claim.
