There are five common causes of large truck crashes that California drivers should be aware of. The first cause is connected to everyone: driver error. In fact, 81% of truck crashes that involve driver error are the fault of passenger vehicle drivers, not truckers. Still, truckers are just as liable as other drivers to get behind the wheel drunk, drugged or drowsy. Speeding and distracted driving are other forms of negligence.
Artificial intelligence may help keep drivers from distractions
Everything from smartphones and dashboard touchscreens to billboards and radio controls can distract drivers in California. That's why it's no surprise that distracted driving is a major cause of car accidents. Every day in the U.S., these accidents result in some nine deaths and 100 injuries, according to the National Safety Council.
Limits and regulations that truck drivers must follow
Trucks play a crucial role in the American economy. They are responsible for the transportation of goods across the country, and they can move a lot of product at one time. While these vehicles are important, they can also be dangerous for others on the road due to their large size and heavy weight.
Uber safety precautions criticized by the NTSB
The California-based ride-sharing company Uber has been harshly criticized for not having an adequate safety plan in place during autonomous vehicle testing in a series of documents from the National Transportation Safety Board. A 49-year-old woman was struck and killed in March 2018 by an Uber SUV that was being used to evaluate self-driving technology in Arizona. The documents were released by the NTSB on Nov. 5.
Switch to standard time could lead to drowsy driving
Every year in California and across the U.S., an average of 328,000 car crashes occur because of drowsy driving. The National Sleep Foundation reports that these incidents annually result in some 50,000 debilitating injuries and 6,400 fatalities. The problem is not that people are unaware of the danger: In AAA's 2018 Traffic Safety Culture Index, 96% of respondents said driving drowsy is dangerous, but 27% admitted to doing it in the previous 30 days.
Crash deaths down, pedestrian deaths up in 2018
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released statistics indicating that the number traffic accident fatalities in California and across the country declined slightly from 2017 to 2018. The same statistics, though, show that the number of cyclists and pedestrians killed increased nationwide. According to the NHTSA, there were 36,560 traffic fatalities in 2018, 2% less than in 2017. The number of traffic deaths per 100 million miles driven dropped by 3%.
