Houston, Texas is the United States’ fourth most populous city. However, it doesn’t stop there: Harris County is the United States’ third-most populous county. Houston and Harris County are not only densely populated, but also large and sprawling, with numerous freeways, highways, and interstates used by large trucks and other commercial delivery vehicles involved in interstate commerce.
Most trucks going across the southern United States must pass through Texas on their way to their final destination, and a large number of them pass through Houston. That is a key reason that those traveling the roads in our city and the surrounding areas are at a higher risk of fatal truck accidents.
For many of these deliveries, the final destination is Houston, bringing these large, dangerous big rigs onto our local streets and highways. Trucks pick up and deliver large, heavy cargo containers holding a variety of materials, some of which are very dangerous, in and out of the Port of Houston on a daily basis, in addition to highway and freeway transport and local business delivery.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), truck accidents result in nearly 4,000 fatalities and 95,000 injuries each year. The trucking industry’s ever-increasing reliance on our country comes at a cost to truck accident victims, including truck drivers. Victims of trucking accidents need the help of a Houston personal injury attorney to discuss recovering compensation.
What Causes Deadly Truck Accidents in Houston?
Truck accidents are more likely to result in fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants due to the size and weight of semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles. There were 513 fatal truck accidents in Texas in 2020, resulting in 581 deaths. The majority of those deaths took place right here in Harris County. Texas has the most oil and gas production in the country, as well as 30 refineries in operation, all of which require different types of trucks at different stages of the process, from extraction to delivery.
Some of the leading causes of deadly trucking accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Truck driver fatigue or drowsy driving
- Speeding and disobeying traffic laws
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Truck equipment defects
- Weather conditions
- Roadway conditions
- Improperly maintained commercial vehicles
Large trucks are massive, complicated machines. Tractor-trailers can be 60 feet long and weigh up to 88,000 pounds when fully loaded. Because of the size and weight of big rigs, the impact force of a tractor-trailer is extremely powerful. This makes these vehicles much more likely to kill drivers and passengers in smaller vehicles. Not only that, but because trucks frequently travel at highway speeds, they require 400 feet or more of braking distance to come to a complete stop.
As you can see, a large commercial truck on Texas highways and streets can easily become deadly to others. The number of fatalities caused by big rigs in Houston is nearly double that of the next closest state.
How to Share the Road Safely with Semi-Trucks and 18-Wheelers
While many commercial vehicle accidents are unavoidable, Houston drivers can take the following precautions to keep themselves and their passengers safe while sharing the road with big rigs:
- Maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and any 18-wheelers or other large commercial trucks
- Understand where truck blind spots may be and try to stay out of them
- Use your turn signal every time you change lanes or exit
- Avoid engaging in distracted driving behaviors
- Slow down in bad weather
- Never tailgate a commercial truck
- Always pass on the left as the blind spots are less on that side
- Dim your brights if you have them on while driving at night or in bad weather
Houston drivers share the road with large trucks almost every time they travel on our city’s roads and highways. Learning to drive safely while on the road with semi-trucks can help you avoid dangerous road accidents.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash involving a semi-truck or commercial vehicle, contact a trucking accident attorney in Houston today.
Truck Accident Lawyers in Houston
Before dealing with insurance company officials or someone from the trucking company, it is vital to retain the services of expert Houston personal injury lawyers like those at West Loop Law and the Law Office of Nhan Nguyen, MD, JD. In order to hold those at fault accountable and maximize the amount recovered, a thorough and lengthy investigation into all of the facts surrounding an accident involving a commercial vehicle is required.
Nhan Nguyen, MD, JD, and Nader Rabie, JD have years of combined experience working for the rights of Houston injury victims, and we are here to fight for you.
Contact our law offices today at (713) 840-7200 if you or a loved one has been unfairly injured by the negligence of a truck driver or transportation company.
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