It's the Prescription Drugs that Cause Truck Accidents

The more big rigs there are on the highways, the greater the chances for a sharp rise in 18-wheeler accidents.

Despite more and better training, trucking companies are still
facing an increase in the number of accidents involving their vehicles.
"The media used to be rife with reports about tired truckers losing
control of their rigs and causing a massive fatal accident. It seems
like these days that it’s not tired truckers that are the problem
(although it still remains a crash factor), but prescription drugs,"
indicated Jack Zinda, a Texas Super Lawyer's Rising Star, a partner at
the law firm of Heselmeyer Zinda PLLC, Austin.

Out of the roughly 141,000 big rig crashes a year, roughly 77,000
were directly attributable to the driver, and it wasn't just because
they were asleep at the wheel either. The fact of the matter is that
over 26% of the accidents were as a direct result of the use of
prescription drugs, not use of over the counter drugs, although that
ranked at 18%.

Other factors that figure into big rig crashes are speeding, which
came in at 23%, not being familiar with the road travelled (22%), poor
surveillance (14%), being over tired ranked at 13%, employing an
illegal maneuver was 9%, an outside distraction at 8%, inadequate
evasive action at 7% and aggressive driving (7%). So much for the
folklore of the highways about truckers with road rage aiming their
huge machines down the middle of the road and daring everyone to get
out of their way, or else.

It may be just a small sinus congestion pill, but the results of
taking it ended up causing a severe crash. "Driver education about
mixing prescription drugs with long distance driving is critical,"
commented Zinda. It's up to the trucking industry to take that bull by
the horns and ensure that all 18-wheeler drivers understand the
ramifications of driving while under the influence of prescription
drugs.

"While most truckers know and agree that they should not drive while
under the influence of alcohol or an illegal drug, many seem to think
that because the drug is prescribed, that makes it acceptable. It
doesn't and the consequences may be worse than anything they expected,"
added Jack Zinda, Texas Super Lawyer's Rising Star, a partner at the
firm of Heselmeyer Zinda PLLC, Austin.

To learn more visit Hzfirm.com.