These days, more and more Americans have opted to do their holiday shopping online. Although online shopping means you will not have to fight traffic on the way to the mall or in busy parking lots, the gifts you buy online make their way to homes via truck delivery. The holidays now bring a major increase of large trucks on the roads. Also, people spend a lot more time on the roads during the holidays. Increased travel time and more trucks on the roads can be a dangerous combination.
The increase in freight traffic over the holidays results in a nearly 10 percent increase in risk for trucking accidents. Both truck drivers and passenger vehicles contribute to these accidents. However, there are some factors that tend to contribute to negligent trucking accidents, including the following.
- Tired, overworked truck drivers. Although recent laws require truckers to sleep more, not everyone follows them. Drivers trying to earn extra money can fall asleep behind the wheel or make other fatigue-related errors.
- Lax trucking standards. Truck drivers and their employers are occasionally known to cut corners when it comes to safety protocol. Temporary drivers hired for the holiday rush may cause serious accidents as a result of their inexperience and lack of training.
- Trucking companies push their drivers too hard. In an effort to get as much as they can out of their drivers, trucking companies often give them unreasonable and unmanageable schedules. They also expect their drivers to go from point A to point B in an unreasonably short period of time, encouraging drivers to speed to meet deadlines.
Avoiding a Truck Accident in South Jersey
By driving defensively and taking safety precautions, you can help protect yourself and your loved ones.
- Make room for large trucks: trucks need a lot of room to stop safely.
- Avoid truckers’ blind spots: many people do not think about this while traveling on tracks, but everyone should. Freight and delivery trucks have such a large blind spot that people refer to this dangerous area as “No Man’s Land.”
- Take it slow: drive slowly and cautiously around large trucks, particularly in inclement weather.
Cherry Hill Truck Accident Lawyers at Folkman Law Offices, P.C. Are Zealous Advocates for Victims of Truck Accidents in South Jersey
Truck accidents are unfortunately a common reality during the holiday season. If you have medical bills and vehicle repairs as a result of a trucking accident, call the experienced Cherry Hill truck accident lawyers at Folkman Law Offices, P.C. at 856-354-9444 or contact us online today. With offices located in Cherry Hill, Philadelphia, and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania we proudly represent injured motorists throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
