Indiana University and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute did a study in 2020 about what the most common truck accident causes in Indiana are. It’s more complicated than you might imagine because the fault of a truck accident can be shared among both vehicles, but here’s what they found.
The most common causes of truck accidents in this state include unsafe lane movement, following too closely, unsafe backing, failure to yield, and improper turning. Our Indiana truck accident lawyers have researched the data to explain why these causes are so prevalent and cause so many accidents.
Unsafe Lane Movement Is the Most Common Truck Accident Cause in Indiana
Unsafe lane movement occurs when drivers fail to check their blind spots before changing lanes appropriately. Trucks have significant blind spots on all four sides, creating dangerous situations for smaller vehicles that stay in the blind spot. Many drivers don’t realize that if they can’t see the truck’s mirrors, the truck driver can’t see them.
When a fully loaded semi-truck weighing up to 80,000 pounds moves unexpectedly into another lane, smaller vehicles may be forced off the road or into other traffic. We’ve seen many cases where these accidents lead to multi-vehicle collisions with serious injuries.
According to the Commercial Vehicles 2020 report, unsafe lane movement was Indiana’s most common cause of truck accidents, accounting for slightly over 18% of crashes. The police report information they used to assess fault blames truckers and drivers nearly evenly for this cause.
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Following Too Closely
The physics of large trucks makes following too closely (tailgating) particularly dangerous. A fully loaded tractor-trailer traveling at highway speeds needs nearly twice the stopping distance of a passenger vehicle. When road conditions are less than ideal, this stopping distance increases dramatically.
Following too closely violates federal safety regulations, which require trucks to maintain safe following distances based on speed and load weight. These regulations exist because the consequences of rear-end collisions involving trucks are often catastrophic.
Like unsafe lane movement statistics, the report puts the recorded blame for following too closely evenly between commercial and non-commercial vehicles. Between 14-15% of truck accidents in Indiana happened because of this cause.
The Dangers of Unsafe Backing
Unsafe backing accidents often occur in loading docks, rest areas, and truck stops. These accidents happen when truck drivers fail to check their surroundings or misjudge their available space properly. Backing up a large truck is challenging because of the limited visibility.
In nearly 70% of cases, according to the study, unsafe backing is the fault of the truck driver. It has the most significant fault gap between commercial and non-commercial drivers. Therefore, if you get hit by a reversing truck, the odds are good that you are not at fault.
Most unsafe backing accidents occur at relatively low speeds, but they can still cause significant damage and injuries. The trucking industry has specific protocols for safe backing procedures, including spotters and backup cameras. When these protocols aren’t followed, the trucking company may share liability for any resulting accidents.
Failure to Yield and Right-of-Way Violations
Failure to yield accidents often occur at intersections, highway on-ramps, and merging lanes. The size and weight of commercial trucks make it especially important for them to yield to other vehicles properly. Unfortunately, some drivers misjudge the time and space needed to merge or yield safely.
When trucks fail to yield, other drivers often have no choice but to swerve or brake suddenly, which can lead to serious accidents. However, there is a 40-60% split in fault between commercial drivers and non-commercial ones for this common truck accident cause in Indiana.
Be sure to give these vehicles the space they need to turn and know when they need to go first. Don’t try to beat a truck across an intersection, hoping they’ll yield instead of you. You could end up in a serious accident and need our failure to yield car accident lawyers in Indianapolis.
The Hazards of Improper Turning
Improper turning happens when a turn is miscalculated. When truck drivers miscalculate their turns, they may swing wide into other lanes, cut corners too sharply, or fail to account for other vehicles in their path.
Many improper turning accidents occur when drivers fail to properly set up their turns or misjudge the space needed to complete them safely. We’ve seen cases where trucks have struck vehicles caught in their turning radius or collided with fixed objects while attempting tight turns.
Proper signaling and lane positioning are crucial for safe turning maneuvers. While some improper turning accidents are attributed to non-commercial vehicles, most of them happen in commercial vehicles. It is only slightly under unsafe backing as the most common accident caused by a commercial driver.
Call Us for Help After a Truck Accident
These are just a few of Indiana’s most common causes of truck accidents. You can read the full report to get a list of all the accident causes and how fault is divided between truckers and commercial drivers for each cause.
Since 1913, we’ve helped Indiana residents recover the compensation they deserve after truck accidents. If you’ve been in a truck accident, contact Vaughan & Vaughan for a free consultation. Our lawyers and staff can help you determine the actual cause of the accident, figure out who was at fault, and help you get money to pay for your injury.
