Overloaded Trucks

Overloaded trucks are one of the major causes of highway accidentson US highways.  Truck drivers operating on U.S. roadways face manyhazards and dangers.  Truck drivers are at increased risk of roadaccidents due to lengthy driving periods, stress from tight schedules,driver fatigue, bad weather, and poor road conditions.  All thesehazards become even more dangerous and deadly at night.  Overloadedtrailers only compound an already perilous problem and make driving,controlling, and breaking a truck even more difficult.

Overloadedtrucks pose many hazards to motorists and pedestrians on the road. Some major problems that can occur due to overloaded, shifting loads,or improperly loaded trucks include:

• Flying debris
• Difficulty stopping
• Difficulty controlling the truck
• Jackknifing/overturning

Accordingto a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) andthe Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), weight plays a veryimportant role in the control, maneuverability, and potential breakingpower of a tractor-trailer.  The Comprehensive Truck Size and WeightStudy or the TS&W study was conducted to assess the effect of sizeand weight on the ability of a truck driver to stay in control of atruck carrying different weight loads and the influence of cargo loadson the maneuverability of the truck. 

TheFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted the Large TruckCrash Causation Study (LTCCS) to examine the reasons for seriouscrashes involving large trucks (trucks with a gross vehicle weightrating over 10,000 pounds).  The study looked at 963 crashes involving1,123 large trucks and 959 other motor vehicles.  The accidentsresulted in 249 fatalities and 1,654 injuries.  Of the 1,123 largetrucks in the study, 77 percent were tractors pulling a singlesemi-trailer, and 5 percent were trucks carrying hazardous materials. Of the 963 crashes in the sample, 73 percent involved a large truckcolliding with at least one other vehicle.

According to NHTSA’s estimate, there were approximately 120,000 fataland injury crashes nationwide during the study period that involved atleast one large truck; 141,000 large trucks were involved in thosecrashes.  Each of the 963 LTCCS study cases was assigned a samplingweight, which allows for national estimates of total fatal and injurytruck crashes during the study period.

Have you or someone you know been involved in an accident with an overloaded truck? If so, contact one of our experienced truck accident lawyers in your area today!

Updated: LW

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Have you or someone you know been involved in an accident with an overloaded truck? If so, contact one of our experienced truck accident attorneys in your area today!