Every job comes with plenty of responsibilities. But some jobs are safer, and some are not. Some people can relax and their workplace, while others can’t. What’s the most common job in the U.S.? It is truck driving, but it’s not a job where you can sit and relax. Truck driving can be hard, both physically and mentally. And maybe it doesn’t seem like it, but not everyone can do this job. You need to have the skill, you need to be responsible, and you need to be always sharp and present.
Unfortunately, this job comes with significant risk, and truck driving accidents are not uncommon. Believe it or not, there is one state that has the most accidents and the most truck fatalities.
The latest data from the state and Federal authorities reveal that Texas is the capital of truck fatalities. The state also has the unfortunate title of being the worst state in the country for fatal crashes.
Herrman & Herrman offers trucking accident attorneys to help people who have fallen victim to these types of accidents. They are united with road safety campaigners to call for Texas to do more to reduce the number of truck accidents.
Truck Accidents Remain Stubbornly High
Although truck accidents in Texas have not spiked in recent years, they remain stubbornly high. In 2017, there were 649 fatalities caused as a result of truck-related accidents. It may not seem like a lot, but it is. Six hundred and forty-nine fatalities are a lot.
There are many reasons for this, which also explain the increase in traffic accidents nationwide. Low oil prices have led to cheaper gas prices. Enormous amounts of people are moving away from crowded downtown areas and into the suburbs. Finally, Texas has experienced a boom in the number of people migrating to the state.
All these factors come together with a booming U.S. economy to provide the perfect mix of opportunities for serious accidents to occur.
After several years of safer roads, progress appears to have stopped in this regard.
Aggressive Driving and Speeding Still the Main Causes
Herrman & Herrman cite aggressive driving and speeding as the leading causes of fatal truck accidents in Texas. With business booming across the state, truckers are pushing themselves to their limits. It’s simple if you push yourself a lot, you will earn a lot.
An extra 100 miles per shift can add up to thousands of dollars in extra pocket change over the course of a year. In the long run, that is huge and important for people that need to feed their families.
The lack of any real rules on the number of hours driven, and a lack of will to enforce any restrictions, are contributing to tired drivers operating on tight schedules.
We mentioned that truck drivers need to be responsible and always sharp and present, but extra hours that they are pushing are working against that.
The only way to reduce the number of fatal accidents is to begin regulating the trucking industry with real enforcement powers. It is necessary to control the amount of hours truck drivers are allowed to drive. And the hours they need to rest before they begin another shift.
Poor Quality Infrastructure in Texas
With increased haulage rates, particularly from Mexico, many big rigs are finding themselves on rural roads that were never designed for them. Crumbling Texas infrastructure is creating additional hazards for both truck drivers and ordinary drivers. Rural roads are not made for heavy-duty vehicles, and when trucks are driven there, they become the perfect road to disaster.
Herrman & Herrman state that both the state authorities and the Federal government must begin investing in infrastructure if they want the number of fatalities to drop. It’s simple, the roads need to be adapted, and they need to more robust and more enduring.
Not only does this apply to repair existing roads, but also building new highways that are better suited to the large rigs using the roads of the state today.
Everything in the United States wouldn’t function like it is now if it weren’t for the trucking industry. It means that if the conditions for truck drivers are weak, it will affect everyone. For everything to work correctly, new roads are necessary. New highways need to be made so that truck drivers can easily do their work and save their lives.
Action Must Be Taken, Lives Must Be Saved
Road safety campaigners state that this is a problem that has been largely accepted as a natural consequence of a flourishing economy for some time. And it must not be accepted, not now, not ever. There is a need for a change, a change that needs to happen now.
There is an increasing voice calling for action to be taken and for Texas to stop being the state where fatalities on the road are seen as just a fact of life.
It can’t be like that. Human life is precious: truck drivers, other drivers, every human being deserves to live. And fatalities can’t be seen as a normal and natural consequence and as a fact of life. It’s time to make some change and save lives. It’s time to fight for better conditions and a better life.
In the meantime, Herrman & Herrman are working to help people who have fallen victim to Texas’ treacherous roads while calling for significant action to be taken to initiate real long-term change.
