Preventing Truck Accidents
Getting in a truck accident is a great fear for many people. Trucks themselves are large and often carry hefty loads of cargo. When driving, people are often cautious of trucks, but deadly accidents still happen. Drivers can take certain precautions when sharing the road with truck drivers, but a negligent truck driver or company is no match for small errors passenger car drivers can make.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that in 2018, 4,136 people died as a result of getting into an accident with a truck. The majority of these deaths were people in passenger cars. Truck drivers have the advantage of being protected in a vehicle that weighs upwards of 30 times more than an average car. A truck can roll over, but in an accident with another smaller vehicle, a semi-truck is likely to come up on top.
When a truck accident is caused by a negligent truck driver or company, reasons for this happening can include but are not limited to, an overtired driver, a driver working past the legal limit of driving hours, a company not doing a thorough inspection of their feet. Other drivers cannot control these things, but they can make decisions for a safer roadway with trucks.
Blind Spots: Because trucks are so large, they have bigger blind spots than standard cars. A driver should stay more than 20 feet in front of a truck and more than 30 feet behind a truck at all times. When it comes to the side views of trucks, a driver has the most limited view on the left side of the vehicle, upwards to two lanes of traffic. A good rule of thumb is, if you cannot see a truck driver in their rearview mirror, then they cannot see you.
Pass with Care: It is extremely dangerous to cut off anyone on the road, but drivers should be especially mindful of passing trucks. Because of their weight, trucks take 40 times longer to stop than a passenger car. Therefore, when cutting off a truck, they may not have enough time to stop. This is especially true during poor weather or slow conditions. Truck driver blind spots are so large, that they may not even see you coming, on top of the weight of the vehicle trying to stop.
Contact an Aurora Truck Accident Attorney
Roadway safety is a two-way street. Passenger car drivers can do all they can to make sure a truck accident does not happen, however, when truck drivers or companies are negligent, the safe drivers still suffer. If you have been involved in an accident where the other party is responsible, contact a Kane County truck accident attorney today. Call our office at 630-907-0909 to schedule a free consultation.
Source:
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/tips-driving-safely-around-large-trucks-or-buses
