Truck drivers in Georgia face multiple hazards on the road on a regular basis, and just the sheer size and weight of their vehicles increase their risk while driving. There are numerous causes of accidents involving large trucks, and they include other drivers and truckers themselves.
According to FindLaw, collisions with commercial trucks are typically the fault of car drivers. This is often due to the fact that vehicle operators are not aware of how to drive when trucks are in the vicinity. For example, a big rig has numerous blind spots in which the driver cannot see another vehicle. These are behind the truck and on each side. The best advice for other drivers is to make sure they can see the truck operator in the side mirror and, if they do not, to get out of that zone right away.
A truck is much heavier than other vehicles and this means it takes longer to pick up speed and longer to slow down. Vehicle drivers can avoid accidents by not changing lanes right in front of a truck or by correctly estimating the speed of a truck before making a left-hand turn in front of one.
Truckers themselves sometimes cause an accident. Most of them have adequate training and skills to operate the vehicle, but speeding and fatigue are common risk factors.
Safety and Health Magazine also points out that truck drivers crash more often when they have certain health issues. The lifestyle of truckers, which includes eating poorly, prolonged sitting and poor sleeping habits, lead to problems such as back pain, heart disease and diabetes. Research shows that drivers who have at least three of these conditions are four times as likely to be in an accident than healthy drivers.