When an individual is involved in a truck accident, the responsibility of the lawyers and insurance companies to claim compensation can be daunting. In order to make what you deserve, it is important that you understand the common causes of truck accidents. The best way to do this is by understanding how these accidents occur in Bakersfield.
According to Bakersfield truck accident lawyers, the most common causes of truck accidents in Bakersfield are four-time violations, tailgating, improper lane changing, and distracted driving. These violations increase exponentially when driving at high speeds or on long routes with many intersections and curves. The other factors that contribute to these types of accidents are tiredness and speeding.
We will now see the most common causes of truck accidents in Bakersfield.
- Distracted driving
Distracted driving is a key factor whenever an individual is involved in a truck accident. This can occur either because of looking at something or even texting, speaking on the phone, or otherwise responding to any other stimuli that prevent an individual from observing the road sufficiently and can result in a collision. The first thing that needs to be done when someone is involved in a truck accident as a result of distracted driving is for the individuals involved to maintain their composure until emergency services arrive and take control of the situation.
- Driving under influence
There are a number of theories circulating around intoxication and truck accidents, with individuals believing that intoxicated drivers are more likely to cause an accident than sober ones. In reality, it is the opposite. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that those individuals who operate their vehicles while drunk are less likely to be involved in an accident than sober drivers. This is because alcohol impedes their ability to detect danger. This causes them to drive slower and make fewer mistakes on the road, which results in fewer accidents.
- Speeding
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that approximately 35% of truck accidents that occur are due to speeding. This causes them to speed up when approaching the horizon, which in turn increases the risk of colliding with another vehicle or with a barrier. Therefore, it is important for an individual involved in any type of collision to be cautious whenever they are driving a vehicle, especially trucks, as speeding increases the chance of getting into an accident.
- Roadway defects
According to truck accident lawyers, night driving also causes a higher number of accidents to occur. This is because there are more distractions when traveling at night, especially when an individual is crossing the road or entering a one in which they do not know. This lack of available information on the road then makes an individual more likely to have an accident.