The increasing demand for immediate delivery means there is also an increase in the number of delivery trucks on the road. UPS, Federal Express, DHL and now Amazon Prime. In fact, Amazon now has its own shipping and delivery division, rivaling Federal Express and UPS in terms of size and volume of delivering.
Some of the most serious accidents on our Kansas City roadways – on any roadway – involve large trucks. Accidents involving large commercial trucks and a passenger vehicle often result in serious injuries, sometimes even fatalities.
We want you to be aware as you share the road with large trucks to help you stay safer on the road.
Large commercial trucks carry goods from one place to another; they are essential to our communities’ economy. They also make up approximately 13% of all motor vehicles on our roadways. Accidents happen and, like automobile accidents, there are many types of accidents involving large commercial trucks.
The popularity of having groceries delivered has grown tremendously. Instacart, Shipt, Peapod and many others make it easy to buy from Aldi’s, Hy-Vee, Price Chopper, Sprouts and more. The appeal: contactless delivery, social distancing, and avoiding long check-out lines and crowded stores. It is, however, a popular convenience that means more delivery drivers on our Kansas City roads.
Online shopping has become a way of life. Delivery of goods, which now includes groceries, fast food, prescriptions and more, saves us from risking possible COVID-19 exposure. The delivery truck experience is contactless, convenient and allows us to social distance.
An accident involving a large commercial truck is often more devastating than one involving a passenger vehicle.
Large commercial trucks weigh, on average, 80,000 pounds, whereas an average four-door passenger vehicle is around 3 to 4,000 pounds. When these two types of vehicles collide, it typically results in a wide variety of injuries, many of which are quite severe.
Did you know, approximately, 5,000 people in passenger vehicles die every year in automotive accidents involving semi-trucks? An accident with a large commercial truck can be devastating. Unfortunately, many drivers do not understand how to safely maneuver around large trucks.
After a serious truck or car accident, you may focus on the physical injuries. You can see them; others can see them. It is obvious that you have been hurt in the accident.
Many car accidents end up as fender benders, not causing any serious harm to the driver or passengers. But some types of accidents are more deadly than others and do cause life changing, even fatal, outcomes.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates and monitors trucking companies throughout the United States, setting forth regulations governing commercial motor vehicles and trucking companies.
Within the FMCSA Regulations are a set of rules referred to as Hours of Service (HOS). These regulations govern commercial truck drivers and the hours they work and drive.
