Truck drivers in Virginia will be glad to know that this state is among the top 10 safest states for those in their industry. This is according to a study from Verizon Connect, a fleet management systems provider. The company analyzed data ranging from October 2015 to September 2017 and recording the driver behaviors of more than 6,200 of its fleet customers; these included small and mid-size businesses with 2 to 200 work trucks, such as big rigs, light vans and pick-ups.
Verizon Connect was able to conclude from this data that the safest states for work truck drivers are Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New York. Virginia came in tenth. On the whole, the East Coast is the safest region, while the most dangerous regions are the Upper Midwest and the South. The bottom five states were Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kentucky and Mississippi. South Dakota saw the most cases of speeding, and Vermont the least.
Another fleet management systems provider, Teletrac Navman, asked work truck drivers from across the country to express their top safety concerns. The first was that passenger vehicles are cutting off trucks and giving them little room to maneuver. The second most cited concern is drivers of passenger vehicles driving over the speed limit, even when passing disabled trucks on the roadside. They were also apprehensive of distracted or drowsy drivers.
Truck drivers themselves are not always responsible for the accidents they get into; it could, for example, be a case of trucking company negligence. Either way, those who are injured through no fault of their own may be able to file a claim against the trucking company. If successful, the claim could cover their medical expenses, lost income, property damage and other losses. Legal assistance might make the process go more smoothly. The lawyer might even negotiate for the settlement on the client’s behalf.