Pennsylvania roads can quickly become dangerous environments for drivers of all ages and experience-levels. From crowded city streets to fast-moving highways, drivers of smaller passenger vehicles must often share the roads with enormous 18-wheelers, construction trucks and delivery vans. Even a seemingly minor collision with these large trucks can cause lasting injuries and total property damage.
Even though countless factors can contribute to a truck collision, certain factors are more common than others, including:
- Driver distractions: Truck drivers spend their entire shift and work week on the road so they might desire a break from monotony and a chance to multitask. Unfortunately, any activity that pulls focus from the road can be a deadly distraction.
- Fatigue: Whether it is long hours, a demanding schedule or simply general lack of sleep, many drivers get behind the wheel while drowsy. Unfortunately, this can cause the lack of quick reaction times and poor decision-making. These can be deadly for truckers.
- Impaired driving: From drugs and alcohol to prescription medication and over-the-counter cold remedies, numerous substances can lead to drowsiness, blurred vision and cognitive impairment.
Unfortunately, these factors can quickly lead to turmoil on the road. Whether a trucker changes lanes without clearing their blind spots or misses stopped traffic while looking away from the road, collisions involving large trucks often cause catastrophic injuries. Individuals in smaller passenger vehicles often struggle with broken bones, traumatic brain damage, spinal cord injuries, paralysis and amputation. In severe instances, a truck wreck can lead to the death of vehicle occupants.
