There are many common causes of truck accidents on Houston’s busy roads and highways. Many of them you are probably familiar with.
Distracted driving, fatigue, impaired driving and improperly maintained trucks are all major contributors to truck accidents. But one factor that can be overlooked is the age of the truck driver.
Some startling statistics on younger truck drivers
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, younger commercial drivers are more likely to be involved in a truck accident than older drivers.
The studies show that truck drivers under the age of 19 are 4 times more likely to be involved in a deadly truck accident and drivers between the ages of 19 and 20 are 6 times more likely to be involved in a deadly accident.
Younger drivers overall are more likely to be involved in an accident, simply because of their lack of driving experience due to their young age. Drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 generally have higher accident rates and have 4 times the number of fatal crashes than other drivers.
Training requirements for younger drivers
These statistics are shocking and demonstrate a need for proper training for young truck drivers, especially since trucking is often rated as one of the country’s deadliest professions.
There are no federal training requirements for people applying for a commercial driver’s license to operate a large truck and a person can apply for this license at age 18. This means there are young drivers with only a few years of driving experience operating heavy, large trucks on busy highways.
Given this, it is easy to see how the driver’s age could be a major factor in the cause of a truck accident. Although trucking companies are not required to provide a minimum amount of training for younger drivers, they still have the option of doing so to reduce the risk of an accident.
A truck accident can have major consequences
If you are involved in a truck accident, you are likely to be in shock and focused on treating your injuries immediately after the accident. Truck accident injuries tend to be quite serious, due to the difference in size between a truck and a passenger vehicle.
After you seek treatment for your injuries, you must begin trying to rebuild your life and handle any losses you experience because of the accident. The accident could cause you to miss work, lose your job or receive massive medical bills.
Truck driver negligence is a factor in many truck accidents. If you pursue compensation for your injuries through a personal injury action, do not forget to consider the truck driver’s age as a factor.
Holding trucking companies responsible
Although there is no minimum legal training requirement, trucking companies still have a legal responsibility to make sure their drivers know how to operate their vehicles safely. A teenage driver behind the wheel of the truck could mean the driver was inexperienced and should have received more training before being allowed to operate the truck.
Using age as a factor to make your case for negligence could result in higher compensation for your damages after a truck accident.