Four Fast Facts About Semi Accidents Every Driver Needs To Hear

You may have been traveling right alongside bigger vehicles and semis for most of your life, but if you are like a lot of drivers, you have never really stopped to think about just how dangerous it is to be in such close proximity to a vehicle that could easily run your regular vehicle over. As a driver, there are four big facts you should take a few minutes to learn about the threat of being involved in an accident with a semi.  

1. Crashes Involving a Semi Are a Big Problem - You may not see an accident first-hand often, but trucking accidents are a huge problem on the roadways. In fact, there are at least 500,000 semi truck accidents annually. This means that there are well more than 1,000 accidents every day and that is a scary number to face as a driver who frequently travels in an area where there are a lot of semis around.

2. The Numbers of Fatalities Are High - About 5,000 drivers die in an accident involving a semi truck every year on American highways and roadways. Unfortunately, because those driving a regular vehicle are at a disadvantage when it comes to size, which means you would be more likely to be severely injured in a crash with a big truck.

3. Truck Drivers May Not Always Be Sober - In one study, truck drivers admitted that they are not always sober while they drive. About half of them admitted to drinking and driving and another 30 percent claimed they had used amphetamines. Therefore, you never know if a truck driver you are in close proximity to is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

4. Truck Drivers Are Notorious for Falling Asleep at the Wheel - Whether it is because of pressure to get further faster or otherwise, truck drivers commonly fall asleep behind the wheel. In one Flemish study, one out of every three drivers questioned admitted that they had fallen asleep at the wheel at some point in their career.

Even though there are always going to be apparent risks when you drive a car on a regular basis, sharing roads with semis could easily be one of the more concerning risks that you face. If you would like to know more or if you have been injured in an accident involving a semi, talk to a truck accident lawyer for advice.