Commercial vehicles are not the safest cars to get behind the wheel of. Commercial vehicles are among some of the most dangerous types of cars on the road. This is because these vehicles carry heavy loads and large amounts of potential harm to those inside.
The following article lists six reasons why commercial vehicles are prone to accidents.
1. Commercial Vehicles Travel Long Distances
It’s hard to imagine how much worse a commute can get once you start driving in a commercial vehicle, but it happens more often than you might expect. For example, commercial vehicles can travel as far as three to five hundred miles between pickups. This means that commercial vehicles have to be concerned about maintaining the roads and keeping their rigs going. This also means they will have to deal with difficult weather conditions such as heavy traffic and rain or snow. As a result, commercial vehicles are prone to accidents when travelling long distances.
2. Commercial Vehicles Have to Drive Through Suburban Areas
Many commercial drivers test their driving skills over long distances. The problem is that some of these drivers are unfamiliar with handling large trucks in small and crowded areas. Suburban areas are problematic because they have more small cars and people walking in the street. As a result, it is more difficult for commercial vehicles to avoid accidents.
3. Commercial Vehicles Have Heavier Bodies
The trucks on commercial vehicles tend to be heavier than most passenger cars and trucks on the road. This problem is that it makes it more difficult to avoid accidents. While some commercial vehicles can handle these heavy bodies, others are not capable of doing this. To make matters worse, there are numerous situations where a commercial vehicle will have to perform a sudden stop or a sudden maneuver out of the blue. These types of driving maneuvers may be too much for their vehicles to handle. Common commercial vehicle accidents are caused by stopping suddenly, driving through heavy rain, or even driving through busy intersections.
4. Commercial Vehicles Have a High Number of Miles on their Tires
Commercial vehicle tires tend to wear down faster than passenger vehicles due to the higher number of miles that they travel. As a result, commercial vehicles have to replace their tires more often than most people do. This also means that commercial vehicles are more prone to accidents simply because they don’t have the best tires on their vehicles. In fact, not all commercial vehicle drivers understand how important it is to keep their tires in good condition.
5. Commercial Vehicles are More Labor-Intensive
Labor-intensive means it takes more to maintain these vehicles than passenger vehicle drivers do. For example, commercial vehicles need to be repaired more regularly. In some situations, this can mean replacing tires much faster than in passenger vehicles. It also means that commercial vehicle drivers are forced to deal with repairs that require more labor. This is an issue because there will be less time available for their work and driving these large vehicles around the city or the country.
6. Commercial Vehicles Have Higher Trucks Per Mile
A higher truck per mile rate means that there are more chances for accidents to occur on the road. For example, commercial vehicles may be going in an opposite direction or moving at the same speed. This happens especially if two commercial vehicles pass one another or come up to a stop sign or stoplight simultaneously. This common accident scenario occurs more often than you would expect. The problem is that it can be devastating for anyone involved.
These six reasons why commercial vehicles are prone to accidents are reason enough to be careful whenever you get behind the wheel of one of these vehicles. Nothing is worse than getting into an accident that could have been prevented if the driver had taken some time to keep their vehicle in proper condition. In addition, commercial vehicles leave a lot of room for error that could lead to severe consequences.