Truck Accident Lawyer
In order to maintain a safe environment for all, the two must coexist peacefully. In order to achieve this, every other driver has to make decisions that consider limitations of other vehicles, traffic, weather, road conditions, and traffic & safety laws.
Through mindful driving practices, US roads can become more safe. As a truck accident lawyer suggested by our friends at Davis & Johnson Law Office can explain, commercial trucks and their operators are only one cause of truck accidents. The other common cause of truck accidents is a result of reckless behaviors on behalf of civilian drivers.
Remember these safe driving habits when sharing the road with large commercial vehicles:
Space, speed, and time.
A large tractor trailer has unique limitations that are easily overlooked. The weight of a fully loaded commercial truck can exceed 40 tons! For this reason alone, trucks are less capable of maneuvering, reacting, and stopping. The sheer weight of an oversized commercial vehicle makes them particularly dangerous to collide with, especially when traveling at highway speeds.
Passing & Blindspots
Tractor trailers and large commercial vehicles have blindspots of galactic proportions. Drivers of passenger vehicles should respect these regions where they cannot be seen by the truck driver.
- If you can’t see the truck’s mirrors, there’s a good chance they can’t see your vehicle.
- Pass on the left if at all possible.
Merging
One common scenario that truck drivers claim to be particularly hazardous to respond to happens when they are merging.
When you see a truck merging onto the road, highway, or interstate you are traveling on, move, slow down, or otherwise yield to your vehicle to allow them ample space to merge safely. This action is not only courteous, it is also for safety for everyone on the highway.
Heavy commercial trucks need more time and space than a sedan to brake and maneuver safely.
When thinking about safe space, think in terms of seconds in relation to your speed of travel.
- At speeds of 46-70 mph 4 seconds is the general minimum amount of time between your vehicle and the tractor trailer or other large commercial vehicle in front of you.
- Add one second for every estimated 10 feet in length.
Merging in front of trucks when approaching a stoplight.
Tractor trailers and other large commercial vehicles need plenty of space and time to make maneuvers safely, this includes stopping. Stopping is a pretty important thing to be able to do safely.
When approaching a red traffic light, avoid speeding up to then merge in front of a commercial truck that appears to be making a complete stop. Doing so reduces the amount of time and space the truck has to stop, and could result in the truck colliding with your smaller vehicle, which no one wants.
Impatience behaviors around trucks that are parking, backing up, or blocking lanes.
When driving around a town or city, drivers must practice patience when large trucks are performing maneuvers like parking, or backing out. At this stage in a truck driver’s route, they may have to block traffic to arrive at the stop. Trucks have vast blind spots and
Drivers of small vehicles need to practice patience and consider the limitations of the larger vehicle.
Safety is the top priority of most commercial truck drivers, and inconsiderate civilian drivers can make their being safe more difficult. Safety is a shared responsibility, help make roads safer for everyone by doing your part!
