Road Safety: How To Avoid Getting Into A Truck Accident
Participating in the traffic usually involves hidden risks, especially when sharing the road with large vehicles including trucks. Several truck-related collisions occur each year involving motor vehicles and one commercial truck.
Tractor-trailers drivers must follow federal safety regulations to minimize the chance of accidents on roadways. However, when it comes to prevention, drivers of regular vehicles should also take precautions, be proactive, and follow safety tips to help ensure both parties’ safety.
But it’s usually easier said than done because sharing roads with truck drivers can be tricky at times, especially in heavy traffic. Don’t get stressed out! This article will come up with some safety tips that may give you peace of mind before joining the traffic.
How To Help Prevent Trucking Collisions
Keep Safe Distance
When a truck is making a turn, speeding up to bypass it or trying to squeeze into the space next to it to turn can put you at great risk. As a legal representative, Indianapolis truck accident attorney has handled many cases of victims with catastrophic consequences resulting from truck-related accidents. Trying to risk your safety just to save some seconds on the way to work is not worth the pain.
Technically, there is not enough room when dealing with such a large commercial truck to maneuver as safely as with other vehicles. Even if a truck is moving very slowly in heavy traffic, you could cause an accident by merging directly in front of them if you do not leave enough space.
Being massive in size, trucks need more time to slow down and stop in case of an obstacle. Thus, if, unfortunately, they experience a tire blowout, brake to avoid an obstacle, or lose control, other vehicles moving in unsafely close distance will be at serious risk of being involved in an accident. It’s always better to wait until there is enough space for you to merge safely.
Protect yourself by constantly leaving four seconds of distance between you and the truck even as they slow down to turn. Since trucks often need two lanes to make wide turns.
1. Be Aware Of Blind Spots
The number of semi-trucks and large commercial trucks increases annually. They crowd the roadways and thus, involve more risk of accidents.
Hence, it’s crucial to arm yourself with some basic knowledge about trucks. Large trucks need ample room when making turns as their blind spots are larger than those of regular automobiles, causing visibility problems.
Most trucks also have warning signs that unless you can see the truck driver in the truck’s side-view mirror, the truck driver most likely cannot see you.
Plus, the passenger side’s blind spot is significantly larger than that on the driver’s side. So when passing, always pass on the driver’s side. Stay visible and always keep a safe, four-car distance to avoid their no-zone area.
2. Switch Lanes With Caution
Again, trucks take longer to slow down or stop than regular vehicles. So an immediate lane switch in front of a truck or insufficient space when passing may result in a situation of emergency braking.
A sudden stop can cause a serious accident involving multiple cars, therefore, always assess traffic and space between vehicles before heading to pass a truck on the road. Ensure your safety by maintaining a constant speed and avoiding sudden switches.
Pay extra attention while passing a truck and switching lanes in front of it. Make sure to leave enough space between your vehicle and the truck and avoid passing while going up or down hills to minimize the chance of catastrophic consequences.
3. Be Patient
Due to the size and weight of cargo carried, commercial trucks are subject to certain speed caps that may prevent them from traveling at the speed of traffic.
Thus, although you may want to keep with the flow of traffic, aggressive driving such as exceeding the speed limit to pass a commercial truck or driving in their blind spots might be the worst option for your safety.
It’s important to understand that commercial drivers are not trying to aggravate you, but rather want to reach their destination safely. Take a deep breath and stay calm to prevent unnecessary collisions.
Be Well-prepared
Car accidents involving large trucks often lead to extreme or even fatal injuries due to the massive size and weight of large trucks compared to other vehicles on the road such as cars, motorcycles, and pickup trucks.
That’s why being well-armed with safety tips, regulations, and understanding of possible challenges will help you navigate the roadways more easily and safely.
Last but not least, no one wants to plan for bad things. Nonetheless, it’s necessary to acknowledge proper practices to do when being involved in or knowing a loved one to be injured in a trucking accident.
