New truckers often lack the skill, knowledge, and experience to avoid causing serious and fatal truck accidents.
Many truck accidents in Indiana and other states are caused by inexperienced truck drivers. This is why federal officials at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently took a hard line and denied two requests to allow inexperienced truckers the ability to train new truck drivers.
"If exemptions are granted on a widespread basis, such a result would be inconsistent with a primary goal of the ELDT (entry-level driver training) regulations, which was to establish a uniform federal minimum ELDT standard," FMCSA officials wrote, according to a recent Land Line article.
The Fort Wayne truck accident attorneys at Boughter Sinak, LLC applaud FMCSA officials for taking such a tough stance regarding truck driver training. That's because numerous studies have consistently found that inexperienced commercial truck drivers often cause serious accidents that result in severe injury or death.
How often do inexperienced truck drivers cause accidents?
Numerous traffic safety studies have come to the same conclusion – inexperienced truck drivers often cause motor vehicle accidents. Virginia Tech conducted one study that clearly illustrates the importance of truck driver experience. For instance, commercial truck drivers with less than one year of experience caused more truck accidents than other, more experienced truck drivers, regardless of the truck driver's age.
"Generally speaking, the first year of driving a CMV (commercial motor vehicle) is riskier in terms of crash rates, crash involvement, and moving violations, regardless of age," Virginia Tech researchers wrote.
Why do inexperienced truck drivers cause collisions?
Inexperienced truck drivers often cause accidents involving tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, delivery trucks, and other large commercial vehicles because they lack the skill and experience needed to accurately assess risks on the road. This includes:
- Driving too fast, especially during hazardous weather conditions or around sharp curves, resulting in a high-speed truck crash or rollover truck accident.
- Following other vehicles too closely and not having time to stop to avoid a rear-end truck accident or another type of truck crash.
- Losing control of the truck, whether it's due to speed or other contributing factors, such as the truck being improperly loaded.
- Mechanical problems (such as bald tires or defective breaks) due to an inexperienced truck driver not knowing how to check for such issues when inspecting the truck.
Contact an Indiana truck accident lawyer for help.
Claims involving commercial truck accidents often turn into complicated legal cases. That's because there's a lot at stake after a serious truck accident, and no one ever wants to take responsibility for what happened. There can also be more than one party that can be held liable for damages, including but not limited to the truck driver, the trucking company, the truck manufacturer, the maintenance company, and even the company that loaded the cargo.
This is why it's important to have an experienced truck accident attorney on your side, protecting your rights and aggressively advocating for your best interests throughout the entire process.
At Boughter Sinak, LLC, our dedicated legal team understands what it takes to get results in Indiana. We know the state and federal laws that apply to commercial trucking accidents. We know what evidence to look for and how to build a successful injury claim or lawsuit. Finally, we take cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay no fees unless we win your case.
Get the Indiana law firm that gets results. Contact us and schedule your free case evaluation with an Indiana truck accident lawyer you can count on in a crisis. We have two offices conveniently located in Fort Wayne and South Bend and proudly handle cases throughout the state.