We often focus on the driving habits and accidents of those who drive a smaller vehicle; rarely are discussions focused on accidents involving an eighteen wheeler truck. The fact of the matter is that all vehicles can be involved in an accident if not driven safely, including trucks.
For this reason, to highlight collisions involving commercial trucks, from June 16-17 the Ministry of Transportation has partnered with the Ontario Provincial Police for a project called “Operation Corridor.” Operation Corridor is an annual 24-hour traffic safety initiative focusing on high police visibility, enforcement and safety education aimed at commercial truck drivers who travel on major Ontario highways.
Operation Corridor continues to be a necessary initiative, since large commercial transport vehicles pose a greater risk for accidents and heighten the severity of accidents. In the past decade alone, more than 700 people have died on OPP patrolled roads in collisions involving large commercial transport trucks. In 2014, there were 6,140 such collisions and 69 people lost their lives, with only four of those victims being the driver of the truck.
OPP Deputy Commissioner (Brad) Blair, Provincial Commander of Traffic Safety and Operational Support, says that “Over and above the increased risk of death and serious injuries, a collision on a major highway involving a large truck often results in a highway closure that can last for many hours. This has a significant impact on the movement of traffic and goods, making these types of collisions among the most disruptive socially and economically costly.”
It not only can prove costly economically and socially speaking. If uninsured or inadequately insured, it can also prove costly for the victim of an accident involving a commercial truck.
Injuries involving a truck are often more serious and dangerous, depending on the speed and size of the vehicles involved. If you are ever involved in an accident, and especially an accident involving a truck, contact a truck accident lawyer to gain a better understanding of your rights and receive the compensation you are entitled to.
