Accidents: Truck and Car Repair
By Dan Deary, posted in Phoenix truck painting on March 7, 2013
A new study by the ATA (American Trucking Association), a corporation which strives to serve and represent the interests of the trucking industry and promote safety to all drivers alike, has concluded who may be at fault in many of the small car and commercial truck accidents.
With many people driving cars, trucks, even riding motorcycles, there are many accidents, many of which occur on the highway. The highway is a very important mechanism in the daily lives of Americans. They use it to get to and from work and to get to places faster. Highways may be very useful but may not be as safe as many think. ATA President and CEO, Bill Graves believes, “Every crash, and every fatality and injury, suffered on our nation’s highways is a tragedy.” In 2012, the United States Census Bureau concluded that in 2009, there were over 10.8 million accidents in the United States, 807 of which were in Arizona. Of the 10.8 million accidents, 2,500 of them were with large commercial trucks. Graves went on to say, “Preventing them from happening requires a proper understanding of the causes of these crashes. It is also tragic that carriers and drivers across this country are saddled with guilt and blame for many crashes they could do nothing to prevent.”
Many believe that accidents on the freeway are the fault of the drivers of commercial vehicles, which is not the case. The American Trucking Association cited multiple studies done by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), AAA, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, that many accidents that occur between small vehicles and commercial trucks are the fault of the driver of the smaller vehicle. To help credit this explanation, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety funded more than 250 projects, aimed toward determining who is at fault for an accident and also examined 10, 732 accidents. In examining the accidents, they discovered 36% of the car drivers were cited for two or more unsafe acts and 11% of the truck drivers were cited for two or more unsafe acts, both while driving.
Depending on the accident, the fault can be either driver but Graves wants it to be known that “Trucks and truck drivers are out on America’s roads with one goal: the safe and efficient delivery of the goods they are hauling,” also, “They understand they bear a great responsibility to keep our roads safe for all motorists, and they should not continue to be penalized by their government for the unsafe actions of other motorists when it’s plainly evident that the professional driver did not cause or could not have avoided a crash.” No one wants to be the victim of an accident, which should raise a white flag that everyone should drive with attention and caution.
As one of the largest independent commercial body shops in Phoenix, we encourage everyone to be safe driving but in the case of an accident, please contact us for assistance with your claim and repair.