The rise of trucking accidents

I'd say the biggest aspect contributing to the increase in trucking accidents is convincing people who have no reason to be behind the wheel of a 80,000+ lb truck, that trucking is a career that "anyone can do" and make lots of money doing it.

Lowering hiring standards, injecting large amounts of lowest-common-denominator types into an industry that requires high levels of practical intelligence, common sense and instinct, combined with tenacity and perseverance.

People who would never have considered trucking as a career back in the 1980's, who now have "no other option than to hold a steering wheel".

But we cannot also forget about the rise of the "smart" phone. Drawing people's attention away from daily life and responsibility, causing distractions for people who don't enjoy driving, but are doing it for 11+ hours a day because they are chasing a big pay cheque to support their family.

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In the end however, are the stats still skewing towards four-wheelers being the majority cause of crashes involving big rigs? Maybe it's time to start educating the general driving public about trucks and how to behave around them, and give truck drivers a basic education in physics and following distance, especially during reduced traction scenarios.

 

Educating four wheelers would help...but we are also sadly starting to live a a me me me society. What do I know I'm only 30.

 

In your opinion,but stats say otherwise!

 

What stats?

 

The stats that show trucking accidents have been climbing

 

In my time it took roughly 400 feet and maybe 9 seconds or so to make a crash stop on dry. Maybe more (Usually more)

Today's trucks whew if set up properly they can execute it in less than 6 seconds and right about 260 or a dab more feet maybe. Particularly if the ABS is active. They can generate with Disk brakes huge amounts of braking. Ive never had disk on big rigs companies never bothered to spec em due to cost.

But my last two stops in the 2001 time period were pretty fast, fast enough to provide additional options to get out of it. One needed to be VERY fast faster almost than I can process but it worked out. *Whew... *Bottoms up, shaky legs etc. miss em by this much. Of course the stupid tractor's embedded electronics screamed bloody murder at the very rapid stop back to the company enforcers.

They are not supposed to be interested in stops that did not hit anyone did no damage and no problem. Save their energy for the phone call that goes in to them saying I killed two adults and 4 kids because I did not stop in time....

By the same token when you have a few inches in flat land nebraska and watch a werner tractor sit and spin helplessly in what is supposed to be only 34 degrees in a few inches of snow.. it's disgusting. Nothing against werner but for me that snow is just a overture for the real action later when it gets to be a foot, two feet or so. We had the trucks to do it then. What have we lost all these years to get stuck in that little bit.

 

Let me rephrase since you didn't answer the question.
What stats?

 

Do your own research genius!

 

I have. Never found anything. It's simply too soon to get any stats.

At least I'm not making stuff up because I hate ELD's.

 

Me?

There is one definitive database called "Motor Carrier and Motor Bus Crashes" by year further divided into death, injury etc by the US Government. It is a living document going back to at least 1975.

I don't have time to dig up that link but its been presented several times on this forum in the past as the authority in how many trucks have crashed each year until I think 2016.