According to a news report posted on star-telegram.com, a severe truck accident occurred along Loop 820 in North Richland Hills, Texas. The crash occurred between a fuel tanker truck and a truck hauling animal waste. The accident was fatal and the truck fire burned for several hours. One truck driver died, and two other people were seriously injured. According to the report, accidents have uptick since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and fatal accident involving commercial vehicles have increased.

Deadly truck accidents have been on the increase nationwide leaving traffic safety experts wondering what to do to reduce these deadly collisions. In Texas, traffic safety experts have been working on new solutions to improve road safety. However, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex’s has seen substantial growth and crisis in the transportation industry.

When the epidemic began, traffic volume fell and local transit experts expected road safety to improve. However, in March of 2020, the number of fatal accidents sudsy began to surge, according to the director of transportation at the North Central Texas Council of Governments. This was a surprise since miles traveled nationwide fell by 13% in 2020, while traffic accident fatalities grew by 7% in 2020. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, the number of people who died in motor vehicle accidents grew by 10% in 2020. In the twelve counties spanning the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties, the number of truck-related fatal accident grew in 2020 and 2021. The area had 78 fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles in 2019. That number grew to 90 in 2020 and 92 in 2021.

Safety experts believe the reason for the increase is the amount of open road due to less traffic. Drivers began driving faster and more recklessly and this increase the chances of causing a fatal accident. Law enforcement authorities have stated that they are witnessing more aggressive driving on on the road. Many drivers are weaving in and out of traffic lanes and as more people returned to work, these bad driving behaviors continued leading to more fatal accidents.

According to Lance Simmons, the Texas Department of Transportation’s Director of Engineering and Safety Operations, there seems to be more angry drivers on the road. on the road and they are seeing people taking a lot more risks. Although the Texas Department of Public Safety has a people dedicated commercial vehicle safety and law enforcement, not all roadways are conducive to enforcement, according to SergeantJosue De La Cerda. Oftentimes, there is no place for law enforcement officers to safely conduct a traffic stop,

Another issues is fatigued driving. Although truckers are limited in the number of hours they are permitted to drive, some truckers experience “Road Hypnosis.” Road Hypnosis occurs when a driver follows endless yellow lines, watches cars pass, and are listening to the constant hum of the truck’s tires and engine. This can put truck drivers into a “trance-like state,” said Carlos Mendez. Mr. Mendes is a former truck driver and he is the lead organizer with Teamsters Local 745 in Dallas, Texas. Mendez also believes the “unprecedented driver shortage,” is pushing trucker to their limits.

If you have questions about truck accident injury claims in Texas, call Texas Accident Injury Attorney Alex Tyra today, at (903) 753-7499.

The Law Office of Alex Tyra, P.C.

211 E. Tyler Street #521
Longview, TX 75601
(903) 753-7499