While driving on the city streets can be tough and dangerous, driving on the freeways and highways presents its own challenges. One major issue is the presence of commercial trucks that present dangers to smaller vehicles. While commercial drivers must pass more rigorous driving tests, other drivers still need to use extra caution when near them, especially when driving at high speeds.
Truck Accidents Caused By Other Drivers
When accidents occur involving semi trucks, the other drivers are often at fault. Common reasons why this happens include:
- Driving in the “No-Zones” — the areas behind and beside a sem truck where the truck driver cannot see you in the rear-view mirrors.
- Cutting off a truck driver.
- Being on the right side of a truck that is making a right turn.
- Underestimating an oncoming truck’s speed at an intersection, and making a left turn in front of the truck.
- Merging improperly into traffic, causing a truck to brake or change lanes quickly.
- Failure to slow down or speed up when a truck begins to change lanes or merge.
- Unsafe passing, particularly passing with insufficient headway.
- Passing a truck, then being blown out of position by air turbulence or cross-wind.
- Merging into traffic from the roadside in front of a truck without getting up to speed.
- Driving between large trucks.
- Abandoning a disabled vehicle in a travel lane.
How to Drive Safely Around Semi Trucks.
- Give them PLENTY of room. Commercial trucks have huge blind spots, and since they have so much surface area, they are actually more prone to gusts of wind than cars.
- When passing a big rig, hug the outside of the lane and give them much more room than you would give regular cars when merging back in front of them.
- Stay away from a turning truck, especially the right side. The driver often has no idea you’re there until it’s too late. Although it may look like you have room, the trailer’s about to swing back quickly, and is liable to come crashing into your car.
Accidents can happen anywhere on the road, but are often more dangerous at higher speeds and with larger vehicles. If you’ve been involved in an accident, you may be facing legal issues. Talked to an experienced accident attorney today.
