What Causes the Most Truck Accidents in Florida?

The State of Florida is a major part of the United States economy, an economy that largely relies on ground transportation like semi-trucks to move products and materials. As such, truck accidents are a serious concern on Florida’s roadways, especially on fast-moving interstates and in congested urban centers. If you’ve ever wondered what causes the most truck accidents in Florida, the answer lies in a combination of potential factors.

The Challenge of Uncovering the Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Florida

Before we delve into this topic, we need to acknowledge the challenges of finding accurate, up-to-date crash data, especially when dealing with highly specific inquiries that come from commercial truck accidents in a specific state. This is an obvious concern, not just for motorists or injured parties researching truck accidents, but also for state authorities and civic planners. To reduce truck accidents, we must understand them, and that requires reliable data.

When it comes to traffic accident data, there can be a lag in the release of official, validated statistics. This means that official data on truck accidents might not be available until 2 or 3 years after the fact, and sometimes even longer than that. For example, the most recent crash data report available on the website of the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department as of this writing is for the year 2022.

These delays occur because agencies need time to collect, verify, and contextualize information before releasing reports. Each agency may also have differences in the ways they define, quantify, or analyze data for reporting. For example, your local police department and a national insurance lobbying group might both release statistics but could have completely different definitions of what actually constitutes a “traffic accident.”

For these reasons, today’s blog synthesizes the available information from a number of quality crash data sources, such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as well as Florida-based agencies, to give you a broad idea of how and why truck accidents occur. If you need help with a specific truck accident case, please contact Tampa truck accident lawyer Paul Figueroa for personalized assistance.

Common Causes of Florida Truck Accidents

Truck accidents, like car accidents, can happen for all sorts of reasons. The difference is that a fully loaded commercial truck weighs many times more than a passenger vehicle, so even a relatively small incident can be catastrophic for motorists, passengers, cyclists, or pedestrians who find themselves struck by a semi or other commercial vehicle.

While every accident is unique (and may require personalized attention from a reputable truck accident attorney), the following are some of the most common contributors to truck accidents in Florida and throughout the United States:

• Driver Fatigue – The hardworking folks who bring products and materials across the country are often pressured into working long hours, which can lead to fatigue, poor decision-making, and slowed reaction times.
• Distracted Driving – Today’s long-haul trucks are full of technology like GPS, communications equipment, and, of course, the personal cell phone. Due to tight time constraints, truck drivers may also find themselves eating or trying to accomplish other basic tasks while going down the highway. Truckers are unfortunately not immune to distracted driving and are sometimes even more susceptible due to the pressures of the industry.
• Mechanical Failures – Commercial trucks put on many miles, often hundreds in a single day, so the normal wear and tear of the road can create serious safety issues in the industry. Brake failures, tire blowouts, or engine problems can have catastrophic consequences when dealing with a commercial semi-truck and fully loaded trailer.
• Adverse Weather – Florida isn’t just known for its sandy beaches and massive amusement parks. Ironically, the Sunshine State is also well-known for wet, stormy weather that can rise to the level of a traffic hazard in an instant. Slippery surfaces and reduced visibility can turn every truck into a potential danger for everyone on the road.
• Improper Loading – Not every truck accident can be traced back to the actions of the truck driver. Sometimes, the warehouse employees who load a truck actually play a part in creating unsafe conditions. An unbalanced or overloaded trailer can make a truck difficult or dangerous to operate, and the same goes for heavy cargo that has not been properly secured. A badly loaded truck can tip over completely or “jackknife” on the highway and become completely uncontrollable while also presenting a hazard to multiple lanes of traffic.
• Safety Equipment – There are some cases where a truck’s lack of safety equipment or a trucker’s failure to use equipment properly contributes to a crash. Even something as simple as a missing or damaged mudflap can result in rocks and debris being thrown into another vehicle’s windshield. Trucks with blind spots that haven’t been properly covered by mirrors or cameras are another common culprit.

FAQs

Q: What Is the Most Common Cause of Truck Accidents?

A: There is no simple answer for the “most common” cause of truck accidents because every accident is unique, and most will have multiple underlying factors. Fatigued drivers, distracted driving, and poor weather are three often-cited causes of truck accidents in the United States. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website has a great deal of other truck accident data that can help you better understand the nature of these crashes.

Q: What Is the Number One Killer of Truck Drivers?

A: Some trucking industry advocates believe that driver fatigue is today’s number one killer of truck drivers. For this reason, there are many people in and around the industry calling for a healthier industry culture, better legal protections and regulations for long-haul truckers, and improved access to the mental and physical health resources that many people get through their workplaces, which may not be available to independently contracted truckers.

Q: What City in Florida has the Most Accidents?

A: The greater Miami metropolitan area is the city with the most accidents in Florida. Broward and Miami-Dade Counties alone account for around 100,000 of Florida’s 400,000 annual traffic accidents, or about 25% of all crashes in the state. However, accident data may be significantly delayed from the time the accident occurred.

Injured in a Trucking Accident? Paul Figueroa Law Can Help

If you’ve been hurt in a traffic accident involving a commercial truck, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. Contact the Tampa-based offices of Paul Figueroa Law today to get started with a confidential, no-pressure initial consultation.