When it comes to living in an area with the least amount of accidents, Utah is heading toward having the least amount of accidents in the nation. There are other comparable states that have fewer accidents, but overall Utah is on the safer as 32 of 50 states. Salt Lake City is a bustling city where hundreds of thousands of people commute to and from the city. This means that not only are cars on the road, but big rigs and dump trucks occupy the road too. There are rules and regulations for driving and truck driver should know best about what not to do when driving.
Truck Driving Guidelines
Truck drivers are a special kind of driver. They have to take special tests to pass a special license to drive the trucks that they do. Truck drivers, particularly those who drive long hauls, have to document when the drive and when they sleep. They have to be cautious that they are not breaking any rules because if they were to not sleep enough and get into an accident they can lose their jobs. But not every truck driver does long haul. Not every truck driver has to document their behaviour. People who drive trucks daily for short distances are not under as much scrutiny. However, they can still cause an accident for the same reasons as long haul drivers.
For example, the most common reasons why truck drivers cause accidents are due to distracted driving, taking drugs to stay awake, driver fatigue, speeding, or driving while impaired. When you drive the same route every day you can run the risk of getting comfortable. This comfort can affect your driving alertness. Car drivers tend to get into accidents because they are comfortable on the road and get lost in thought, however, a car is not nearly as large as a truck.
The Big Accident
Unfortunately, this past October, 6 individuals were killed when they were struck by a dump truck. The dump truck was being driven by a drunk driver. The police stated that several calls were made to alert authorities that there was a dump truck swerving and driving dangerously. Unfortunately, those calls were not acted upon in time before the dump truck drove into the median and vaulted into the opposite lane hitting a pick up truck head on. No one survived except for the driver of the dump truck.
This sad circumstance may have had some survivors had the dump truck been a smaller car. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident then it is important that you call our Truck Accident Attorney at the Jardine Law Offices P.C. in Salt Lake City. We understand that you are going through an emotional albeit traumatic experience and we are here to make sure that you are treated with the justice that you deserve. Call 801-350-3506 or click here to start a conversation with our legal team today. We will fight for you.