December 27, 2013 There are thousands of commercial tractor trailers registered to operate in the state of New York. Unfortunately, these trucks are too often involved in collisions with other vehicles that result in injuries and fatalities. In fact, data indicates that last year alone, more than 3,500 motorists suffered a Truck Accident Injury, while another 83 individuals lost their lives in such crashes. The disturbingly high number of these accidents leaves many citizens curious as to what the most common causes of these collisions are. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles reports the top three contributing factors to New York tractor-trailer accidents last year include:
- Driver Distraction- These accidents are the result of drivers not paying attention to the road because they were engaged in other behaviors such as talking or texting on a cellphone, eating or drinking, changing the radio, or simply looking away from the road. A total of 1,867 such accidents were investigated in 2012.
- Reckless Driving- Such behaviors include following other vehicles too closely, failing to yield the right of way, speeding, and unsafe lane changes. There were more than 3,500 such collisions last year alone.
- Faulty Equipment- Defects with a truck’s tires, braking, or acceleration systems resulted in 1,346 accidents in 2012.