Sharing Road with Trucks – Prevent Accidents

You might understandably be concerned about the chances of getting into a truck accident when you see a commercial truck ahead on the road or highway. Some of the worst traffic accidents, after all are caused by neglectful semi-truck drivers.

Be vigilant instead of being frightened while seeing a big vehicle. You can share the road with commercial vehicles and minimize the chances of getting into an accident with some precautions and driving safety awareness. Otherwise an accident is a fact of a second which may end up calling a car accident lawyer.

Major Blind Spots

You know about the blind spots that can conceal a car while you drive your passenger vehicle and make changing lanes, turning, and merging risky. Behind each shoulder there is one, causing you to switch after testing your side mirrors. Depending on the size and the back window style, there can even be one directly behind your car.

Commercial vehicles also have these blind spots, except that they are much larger, and immediately in front of the truck is another one. On average, the blind spots a trucker encounters to the left, front and behind may conceal one or two vehicles. However the blind spot to the right is relatively enormous, extending over several lanes and able to hide many vehicles at once.

No Reverse Tailgating

Tailgating is a risky habit of driving that requires too closely following another motorist. When you stay too directly in front of a driver behind you, reverse tailgating occurs, allowing them no chance to distinguish themselves from you.

When contemplating big vehicles, reverse tailgating is extremely hazardous. At highway speeds, the average commercial truck has a hard time coming to a complete stop. A large rig's massive weight increases the braking distance, often three or four times the distance required for smaller vehicles travelling at the same pace. If you reverse a commercial truck's tailgate, so if you need to instantly apply the brakes, you raise the chances of being rear-ended by the truck. Keep out of the forward blind spot of the truck and if you are on the highway ahead of it, give enough room behind you.

Pass on the Left

You need to overtake a commercial truck often because it blocks a lane or runs unreasonably slow. Use caution when you plan to pass, and just pass on the left. Commercial trucks have wide blind spots on the right side, as described. Passing on the right will hold you for a while in that blind spot, making you essentially invisible to the trucker, who in an emergency would swipe into you. As a result of its smaller blind spot, the left side is generally safer.

The Right Turns

Tractor-trailers with little versatility are extremely long vehicles. At a hinge near the front, which serves as the only turning point, the trailer connects to the tractor behind it. The outcome of this design is that to complete turns, trucks need a large space.

With right turns made in the right-most lane, wide turns are particularly problematic. The trailer will normally be pulled into adjacent lanes by a large rig as it turns. It could be destroyed if your car is there, and you'll be at risk of serious injury.

You should not enter any lanes to your right when you see a commercial truck waiting to turn right. The trucker will not see you and will smash your vehicle when they complete the turn without understanding it. Before continuing, try to hold back and wait for the truck to pass through the intersection.

See us at Foshee and Yaffee Attorneys at Law for car accident lawyer. In OKC we would be assisting you to deal with such accident cases. For more legal aid including divorce and family law, child custody, personal injury, nursing home abuse or wrongful death you may contact us.

**Disclaimer: This content is not to be construed as legal advice nor does it establish terms of a client-attorney relationship.