You probably have seen them driving down the street; large trucks with UPS and FedEx written on the side of them. Over the past several years online shopping has become a central part of the U.S economy. So much so, that there is now an Internet shopping day equivalent of Black Friday. However, while the shopping experience has become largely automated, the manner that the goods are delivered to your house is very much the same.
Commercial vehicles and delivery companies are responsible for delivering a large amount of the products that we enjoy, and often these drivers are under an incredible amount of pressure to deliver their products on time. To accommodate for this massive influx of online shopping and delivery guarantees companies such as UPS have had to grow their shipping fleet exponentially. As other articles in this blog have highlighted, whenever there are commercial vehicles on the road there is the potential for an accident, and outweighing standard passenger vehicles by thousands of pounds, when they do there is a much higher chance that there will be injuries.
What Are Potential Causes of UPS Truck Accidents in Pennsylvania?
Driving requires an incredible amount of focus. Drivers today not only have to be concerned with road conditions, but also constant distractions from cell phones and mobile devices. Additionally, drivers need to be aware of who is on the road with them and the danger that these vehicles can pose. Some of the leading causes of truck accidents include:
Lack of commercial driver training
Commercial drivers are required to undergo at least some training. In some cases it is a mere 14 days. This may seem like a lot of time, however, when you consider that a fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 20 times more than a standard vehicle, this short training period, which is often no more than several hours driving with a certified driver, is not nearly enough time to learn how to manage a large vehicle.
Truck driver fatigue
Driver fatigue is a major factor in many truck accidents. Every day there are reports of drivers falling asleep behind the wheel. While the Federal government has implanted hours of service regulations, often drivers will attempt to drive beyond the limit in order to meet deadlines.
Failure to perform required truck maintenance
A regular car normally does not require that much maintenance to keep it on the road. However in contrast, a large commercial vehicle often requires daily inspection and maintenance to keep it fully operational. That is because in addition to being much larger a commercial vehicle also has many more parts, all of which need to be inspected to ensure that the vehicle is in proper working order. If required maintenance is not routinely done
Speeding or aggressive driving
Speeding is another major factor that contributes to commercial vehicle accidents. Many drivers are on very rigid deadlines to deliver their packages. That being said, drivers will often choose to speed over potentially missing a deadline.
Driving distractions
As noted above, the modern driver is under a constant struggle for their attention. Cell phones, electronic devices, radios, and other distractions all pull drivers away from their main task; to keep their eyes and attention on the road.
Driving while under the influence
Every state has regulations pertaining to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, despite strict regulations imposed by the state, and harsh penalties for drivers who are caught driving under the influence, it still remains a problem for drivers all across the United States.
Poor weather conditions
You know that the weather is often unpredictable. However, just because it is raining or snowing, does not relieve many drivers from their deadlines. This puts an additional layer of stress on many drivers who now must contend with poor weather conditions. On average it takes a commercial vehicle 20 to 40 percent longer to come to a complete stop. When the roads are not in ideal conditions, it can take a commercial vehicle even longer. However, there is often not enough time for a tractor-trailer to come to a sudden complete stop.
All of these hazards are risks that drivers should not have to face. This is particularly true when a company is involved. UPS employs roughly 60,000 drivers who log almost 900 million miles on highways and roads annually. As the internet shopping market continues to increase, these numbers are only expected to increase along with them. Commercial drivers are under incredible amounts of pressure from consumers, employers, and manufacturers to not only deliver their products but to deliver them as fast as possible. This sometimes requires drivers to cut corners and improperly load their vehicles, or to speed.
Our Attorneys Can Help if You’ve Been Injured in an Accident with a UPS Truck in Pennsylvania
Don’t wait if you or someone you know has been involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle or delivery company. Many of these companies have sophisticated legal teams that will bully you into believing that you do not have any other option other than to take their settlement. However, this is not true. That is why you need a team of truck accident attorneys at your side who are not intimated by big trucking company tactics. If you’ve been a victim of a UPS truck accident, give The Reiff Law Firm a call at (215) 709-6940 .
