Reasons Why Trucking Accidents Are Going Up In 2022

Nobody wants to see the rise in the number of trucking accidents each year, even truck accident lawyers who represent clients who have been injured from such accidents. This is because of the devastating nature of these incidents and the probability which they have of causing great human damage. Whilst we may only be in March of this year, the first quarter is showing some worrying trends with regards to the number of truck accidents which we are seeing, and here is exactly why we believe this to be the case.

Post Pandemic

During the peak of the pandemic between 2020 and 2021, we actually saw an increase of trucks on the road. What we also saw however was a massive reduction in the number of cars on the road, because of the fact that so many were working at home and staying under quarantine conditions. This is a very important point which we have to factor into these accident statistics, and in reality it would be better to compare this year with 2019, in order to get a clearer understanding of what is happening on our roads.

Increased Traffic

If we take a small snapshot of the number of vehicles on the road between now and recent years, as we have mentioned this doesn’t really give us a clear picture. What we do know however is that there are more trucks on the road than. At any time in history. The internet and the way in which products are distributed has played a major role in this. In fact when it comes to domestic freight, 80% of this is delivered using trucks, which of course increases the risk of potential issues taking place.

Aging Driver Population

Becoming a truck driver is not something which people want to do in the same way that they once did, and this has resulted in an aging population of drivers. With this comes the complacency of an experienced driver, but there is a bigger reason why this could be causing accidents. Given the lack of options which trucking companies have when it comes to talent, they have been forced to rely on younger drivers who once upon a time may not have been able to get a job. Such is the demand of the trucking industry, owing to the increased number of trucks on the road, it is imperative that seats are filled, and this could certainly be a reason for an increase of accidents.

Delivery Times

In a world of same and next day shipping, there is more pressure on trucking companies than ever before to deliver their cargo fast. Whilst technology like GPS is able to help with this, ultimately there is a real pressure on drivers to deliver very tight times. This results in erratic behavior and drivers taking more risks, which contributes greatly towards the increase which we are seeing in accident figures.

This is why the number of accidents and legal claims are on the rise.