Does the weather make truck accidents more likely?

It’s easy to assume that the weather plays a huge role in truck accident statistics. Perhaps you’ve seen videos of trucks sliding in the snow or crashing because of reduced visibility in heavy thunderstorms.

Truckers are working, after all. They can’t just stay in during bad weather, reading a book, drinking a cup of coffee and waiting for it to clear. That may be fine for people in many other professions or for students, but truckers have to brave these conditions.

Weather can cause accidents. These are realistic concerns. However, statistics show that the weather isn’t as problematic as overall traffic levels.

A study looked at traffic deaths and found that, even in areas where snow and ice are far more common than they are in Tennessee, the fatal accident statistics fall in the winter. From one side of the United States to the other, these numbers spike in the summer.

Therefore, weather is clearly not the threat that some would assume. A warm, clear summer day is more dangerous simply because of the higher traffic levels. College students are out for the summer. Families are on vacation. The days are longer. The good weather encourages people to get out on the roads.

With more traffic comes higher fatal accident totals.

You can’t control the traffic. It’s a risk you know you’re going to face. That means driving with 80,000-pound trucks, even when they put you in danger.

If an accident happens because of a negligent truck driver, perhaps one who is speeding or too tired to drive, make sure you know what legal rights you have to financial compensation. Injuries can be very costly in any season.

Source: Truck Driving Jobs, “How Dangerous Are Those Truck Driving Jobs?,” accessed Sep. 08, 2017