As the interstates and highways continue to become more populated, we can expect a rise in motor vehicle accidents. Even though trucking companies have improved their safety training, new statistics show an alarming rate of truck crashes. For years, news items have focused on driver fatigue as playing a major role in these incidents.

As a professional in over the road trucking, it does not matter how many years or millions of miles one have accumulated. According to the 2006 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's report, about one in20 drivers will be involved in an accident. The study also shows that there are roughly 141,000 truck crashes every year, and 77,000 of these was the direct fault of the truck driver.

Many factors come into play concerning truck accidents. The media loves to portray the trucker as a death machine gunning down the highway. Driver fatigue has been mentioned many times over, but now we can see the facts.

Top 10 Causes of Truck Accidents

1. Prescription Drug Use 26%

2. Traveling Too Fast 23%

3. Unfamiliar with Roadway 22%

4. Over-the-counter Drug Use 18%

6. Fatigue 13%

7. Illegal Maneuver 9%

8. Exterior Distraction 8%

9. Inadequate Evasive Action 7%

10. Aggressive Driving Behavior 7%

Even though truck driver training has improved somewhat, there appears to be the need for continual education concerning medications. I am always amazed when I hear about a truck accident and the culprit turns out to be something as simple as cough medicine! Truck driving schools and trucking companies use a three minute video during their classes showing the dangers of drugs and driving. This 180-second video is basically useless. Many new, inexperienced drivers just getting started in their truck driving career, need to fully understand the importance of applying simple over-the-counter drugs with a 80,000 pound machine. Quarterly safety meetings and updated printed material mailed to the driver on a regular basis, are just a few ways to keep this important fact imbedded in their thought process. There needs to be a continual reiteration of the facts to the drivers. And, the facts are that medications and truck driving jobs just do not mix.

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