Truck Collision
The Danger of Jackknife Truck Crashes in Oklahoma
When a tractor trailer jackknifes, the trailer will fold into the vehicle, forming an acute angle with the tractor. Jackknife accidents are extremely dangerous to the driver and to anyone who happens to be near the out-of-control vehicle. These types of accidents can result in a rollover, an underride collision with another vehicle, or even a runaway trailer situation. It is tragically common for these types of dangerous truck crashes to result in serious injuries and death.
When a tractor begins to skid, the trailer may begin to push the tractor from behind. A jackknife accident occurs if the trailer then swings out and forward while pulling the tractor backward and to the side. This is extremely dangerous for any vehicles that are around the truck as it skids. Once stopped, the jackknifed tractor trailer can still pose a crash risk to other vehicles on the roadway. Vehicles that cannot stop in time may crash into the jackknifed truck, resulting in a devastating collision.
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Stop Sign-Running Truck in Oklahoma Causes Fatal Crash
A teenager was killed and two others suffered critical injuries in an intersection truck accident in Cimmaron County, News 9 reports. Officials say the accident involving a 2009 four-door Dodge pickup and a tractor trailer occurred at the intersection of US Highway 64 and state highway 171, three miles south of Keyes. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials say the Freightliner tractor trailer was heading south on the 171 when its driver ran a stop sign at the intersection and struck the Dodge carrying five teenagers.
A 19-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Two others were treated and released in local hospitals. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured. It is not clear if any charges will be filed.
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Five Dead in Oklahoma City Truck Crash
Five people were killed in an Oklahoma City auto accident involving a collision between a car and a semi truck. According to The Associated Press, the fatal truck accident occurred at Interstate 235 and I-35 near the junction with I-40 in Oklahoma City. Officials say the five fatally injured victims were in a Chevrolet Camaro that veered out of control and went under a truck’s trailer. The roof was sheared off, the vehicle spun out of control, and the car caught fire. Officials are still investigating the cause of this fatal crash.
Underride crashes are some of the most devastating Oklahoma truck accidents. This type of accident occurs when a car crashes into the back or side of a trailer and goes underneath the trailer. These crashes are often devastating because the height of cars makes them vulnerable to going completely or partially under the trailer resulting in the roof of the vehicle being sheared off. Victims involved in this type of collision have been known to suffer devastating and frequently fatal injuries.
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Oklahoma Jackknife Truck Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries
Jackknife truck accidents can cause devastating damages and serious injuries. A tractor-trailer jackknife involves a bend at the hinge between the trailer and the tractor. This motion can cause the truck to veer out of control or even rollover. Tragically, these incidents often result in injuries to the truck driver and any other motorist that was close to the truck during the incident.
Drivers who witness a trailer begin to swerve back and forth while braking should keep their distance. It is possible that the trailer will begin to push the tractor from behind before swinging to the side. The swinging trailer can easily crush a smaller passenger vehicle. Once the truck comes to a stop it may be on its side or completely jackknifed. In either case, the truck driver will have difficulty getting his or her vehicle off the roadway. A completely stopped truck on the highway can be extremely dangerous for approaching motorists.
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Truck Accidents Caused by Fatigued Drivers
A survey conducted recently by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drowsy or fatigued driving is often as dangerous as drunk driving. Fatigued drivers are prone to losing focus or falling asleep behind the wheel. This type of negligent driving is particularly dangerous when large trucks are involved. To help prevent truck drivers from operating big rigs while drowsy, the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces strict truck regulations on the number of hours truck drivers can work without a break or rest.
Drivers of property-carrying vehicles are regulated under 395.3, which states: “No motor carrier shall permit or require any driver used by it to drive a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle, nor shall any such driver drive a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle: (1) More than 11 cumulative hours following 10 consecutive hours off-duty; (2) For any period after the end of the 14th hour after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty.” Additionally, drivers are not allowed to be on duty 60 hours in any period of seven consecutive days or 70 hours within a period of eight consecutive days.
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Big Rig Crashes in Oklahoma Fuel Ongoing Debate over Truck Size and Weight Limits
Recent Oklahoma truck accidents have renewed the debate regarding tractor-trailer size and weight limits for Oklahomans. One of these was a big rig accident in Tulsa that involved the truck colliding with a bridge. The day after this accident, there was another tractor-trailer crash in Oklahoma City that was caused by a van that swerved into a tractor-trailer, which subsequently struck a bridge. The tractor-trailer was hauling volatile cargo which fortunately did not ignite. The driver of the van suffered the only injury and westbound traffic on the I-40 had to be shut down. These accidents, as well as a devastating one in Miami, Oklahoma, from 2009 in which a big rig plowed into a line of stopped cars at 70 mph, killing 10 people, demonstrate the safety issues involved with large and heavy trucks.
According to Tulsa World, the U.S. Congress is expected to decide between two opposing bills that would implement new laws concerning big rig size and weight limits. These bills are the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act, or SHIPA, and the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act, or SETA.
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Main Causes of Oklahoma Truck Accidents
Sharing Oklahoma roads with trucks can be very intimidating for other motorists because of the large size and immense weight of trucks. These characteristics, especially of large trucks, increase the risk of serious injury or death in the case of an Oklahoma truck crash. Although truck accidents can be caused by faulty manufacturing, poor design, or defective products, the most common cause of truck crashes, involving other vehicles or not, is driver error or negligence.
The most common types of driver error or negligence involve fatigued, distracted, or reckless driving. Although strict federal regulations are in place to prevent truck drivers from working too long without rest, many do not abide by them. The schedule of an Oklahoma truck driver, especially a long-haul truck driver, can be very demanding. The pressure of making a delivery on schedule can lead a driver to work extended hours. This may keep a delivery on schedule but it potentially endangers the driver as well as other vehicles on the road. An exhausted truck driver can fall asleep at the wheel and lose control of the truck; even if the driver does not fall asleep, they will have much slower reaction times, which also increases the risk of an accident. A truck driver that does not follow federally mandated work hour limits they, and possibly their employer, can be held liable for any accidents and injuries that result from their carelessness.
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You’ve Been in an Oklahoma Truck Accident: Now What?
Truck accidents in Oklahoma can be serious, and oftentimes leave those involved with severe or even fatal injuries. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, a person may sustain injuries that permanently alter the way they live their life. A fully loaded truck weighs approximately 80,000 pounds, and in addition to a truck’s sheer size, even a seemingly “small” accident can have dire consequences. A passenger vehicle can weigh anywhere between 3,000 pounds and 8,000 plus pounds, which is no match for a large commercial truck.
In 2009, large trucks were involved in 4,309 Oklahoma traffic accidents, with 76 of those crashes resulting in a fatality according to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office. Approximately 1,230 of those accidents resulted in injuries of varying severity.
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Texting While Trucking Now Banned By U.S. DOT
A recent government ban on texting specific to drivers of large commercial trucks should help cut-down on the number of auto accidents in Oklahoma and throughout the United States involving inattentive truck drivers. Statistically speaking, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute cited truck drivers as being 23 times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident than those drivers who pay full attention to the road. As it now stands, truck drivers can face fines of up to $2,750 for texting while driving, but instances of inattentive truck driving are still occurring across the country.
According to the United States Department of Transportation, distracted driving takes on three different forms: visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distraction involves taking one’s eyes off the road, a task that the vast majority of people do while text messaging. Manual distraction involves removing one’s hands from the steering wheel – yet another action that characterizes motorists who choose to use their cell phone while operating a motor vehicles. Cognitive distraction involves not fully focusing on the task at hand. While driving a large commercial truck, much attention needs to be given to the road and the safe operation of the vehicle. Texting while driving certainly detracts from a truck driver’s ability to operate the vehicle with the utmost care.
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Kansas Turnpike SUV Accident Takes Four Lives, Injures Fifth Person
An SUV accident on the Kansas Turnpike resulted in the deaths of four people and the injury of one more near the Kansas-Oklahoma state border. According to a kansascity.com article, the accident took place when the driver of the SUV attempted to make a U-turn in front of a semitrailer and the two vehicles collided. It was not discussed whether a driving infraction was committed at the time of the incident, or if any other negligent action played a determining role in causing the accident.
The Wellington, Kansas accident took the lives of two males, ages 39 and 27, and two females, ages 22 and 23. A 27-year-old male was also seriously injured during the accident and taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. The driver of the semitrailer was not injured and did not require medical attention. Although it was not stated in the report, a more thorough investigation into the cause of this accident will undoubtedly take place.
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