A recent study shows that speeding and distraction or inattention are the top two driver factors contributing to fatal truck wrecks in Maryland and nationwide.

We think nothing of it when we see someone chatting away on the phone while speeding down the highway. We may even be that person, trying to make up time on the road while catching up on the news of the day, thanks to the convenience of a smartphone. However, we might take a second look if the driver happens to be behind the wheel of a big-rig. After all, we know only too well how dangerous it can be for a truck driver to lose control and cause a wreck.

Sadly, speeding and driver distraction are still the top two driver-related factors that contribute to truck accidents in Maryland and nationwide, according to recent statistics released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The FMCSA’s comprehensive review of motor vehicle accidents in 2011 has good news and bad news. The good news is that while truck accident numbers increased slightly from 2010, the number of fatalities and injuries associated with truck wrecks is still more than 25 percent less than it was 10 years earlier, in 2001.

The bad news is that driver error still contributes to a bulk of serious accidents, whether involving trucks or passenger vehicles. The truck driver allegedly made a crucial mistake that caused his own death in 56 percent of all single-vehicle truck accidents in 2011. A truck driver-related factor was responsible for causing the crash in 29 percent of fatal truck wrecks that involved at least one other vehicle in 2011. The numbers are even higher for passenger-vehicle accidents; driver error contributed to 76 percent of all single-vehicle, passenger-car accidents in 2011 and 52 percent of passenger-car crashes involving multiple vehicles. The top two driver-related factors contributing to truck accidents in 2011 were speeding, followed by driver distraction or inattention. Speeding was also the top driver-related factor in passenger-vehicle accidents. 

Whether you’ve been injured in a Maryland auto accident involving a truck or another vehicle, it’s quite likely that driver error was a factor in the cause of the crash. You may be able to recoup damages from the at-fault driver. To see how we can help you get the compensation you deserve, call the experienced Southern Maryland accident attorneys of Nickelsporn and Lundin at 800-875-9700.