Trucking companies approach the problem of reducing truck accidents in different ways. Some are unconcerned with the issue and simply do the minimum necessary to meet the requirements of the law. Others use training programs to increase the skills of their new drivers and their problem drivers. Yet other trucking companies spend money on technology such as collision avoidance systems.

However, the best way of reducing truck accidents is hiring drivers with a long history of safe driving. That is, their driving records have few traffic violations. The reason this works so well is that people are largely governed by force of habit. That’s why people with a good driving history will continue to drive safely in the future. Likewise, those who get into accidents and have numerous traffic violations are not likely to change.

While many trucking companies won’t hire drivers with a history of accidents, they can go further than that. Studies have revealed specific predictors of drivers likely to get into a future truck accident even when their current record is accident free. These are incidences of specific types of traffic violations. The single greatest indicator is having a reckless driving violation, which increases their likelihood of getting into a truck accident by 325 percent. The second biggest indicator is having an improper turn violation, which increases their probability of getting into a future accident by 105 percent.

Because people rarely change their bad habits, training or safety technology will make little difference. On the other hand, drivers with good driving habits will benefit the most from additional training and technology. In addition to a good driving record, trucking companies should require that job applicants pass a road test that identifies poor driving habits.

If a reckless or negligent driver injured you in a truck accident, seek legal advice from the attorneys at Hogan Injury. Contact us for a free consultation.