Aggressive Truck Drivers Can Cause Devastating Accidents

Every driver gets impatient at times, especially in heavy traffic or if they are in a hurry. When impatience turns into aggression, collisions often occur. Though aggressive driving is dangerous for anyone to engage in, it is particularly risky for commercial drivers. These drivers operate vehicles that weigh tens of thousands of pounds and any accidents can cause serious injury. Unfortunately, many truck drivers do become aggressive on the road and cause truck accidents.
 
Common Behaviors of Aggressive Truck Drivers
 
Truck drivers often have time constraints for pickups and deliveries of cargo. To make matters more challenging, they are expected to adhere to strict hours of service regulations that limit the amount of consecutive hours or days they can be behind the wheel of their truck. For this reason and more, when they are on the road, truck drivers want to cover as much distance as they can with as few delays as possible. Therefore, many truck drivers become impatient with slower traffic on the highways.
 
When a truck driver becomes impatient and anxious, they may cross the line into wrongful aggressive driving. Aggressive driving behaviors are often both intended to get ahead of slower traffic and to intimidate the slow drivers in the process. Some examples of dangerous aggressive driving behaviors include:
 

• Following too closely (tailgating);
• Excessive speeding, especially in heavy traffic;
• Dangerous lane changes and weaving in and out of traffic;
• Passing on the shoulder;
• Excessive honking or yelling at other drivers;
• Making threatening or obscene gestures toward other drivers;
• Displaying a weapon to frighten other drivers; and
• Following drivers off the highway to continue threatening or harassing them.

 
These behaviors can easily lead to collisions and, if an accident occurs, the truck driver should be held fully accountable for the dangerous behavior.
 
Negligent Hiring By Trucking Companies
 
There are different signs that a trucking company may notice during the hiring process that may indicate that a truck driver may have a tendency toward aggressive driving. The most notable signal is the presence of certain driving offenses or collisions on a driving record. In many situations, trucking companies will hire someone with numerous traffic violations, including tailgating and reckless driving, simply to fill a position as fast as possible or due to nepotism. Hiring someone that the company should have realized may be a dangerously aggressive driver can be negligent if it leads to injuries.
 
Call a Rockford Truck Accident Attorney For Help Today
 
Truck accident cases often involve many legal issues and complications. Many different parties may be held liable for your injuries in many cases and you want to make sure you have an attorney who can identify all potentially negligent individuals or companies so that you can maximize your recovery. At the law firm of Fisk & Monteleone LTD., our team of skilled Belvidere personal injury lawyers understands how to handle truck accidents so that you receive full reimbursement for your losses and injuries. If you would like a free consultation to discuss your case, call our office at 815-315-9656 as soon as possible.