Dear friends, of all the accidents on highways, truck accidents are the worst type. The trucks are large size and weight, which is why crashing against them always wrecks the car and the passengers inside it. In most cases, the people inside the truck are not much injured in the collision.
A head-on collision with the truck is sure to cause permanent disability and even death.
I can understand that we cannot stop sharing roads with trucks, but we can take some safety precautions to save ourselves from accidents while driving near a truck.
I am going to give you some suggestions while you drive near trucks to avoid accidents.
- Never Try to Come in the Blind Spot of a truck: Trucks and big rig vehicles have bigger blind-spot zones than any other vehicle. Blind spots are the regions that are not directly visible to the driver. The following are the blind spots, and you should take care never to drive in these blind spots.
- An entire lane size on the side of the driver
- Two entire lanes on the opposite side of the driver
- Up to 20 feet ahead of the truck
- Up to 30 feet behind the lorry of the truck
- Also, trucks don’t have a rear view above the windshield, unlike cars. So, the truck driver only has a slight view of the back through the rearview.
- Giving Indications is Important: Giving proper indications becomes even more crucial near a truck. Driving a truck is not like driving any other vehicle. They have a large size and require more time to react and more distance to come to a stop safely. This is why it is important to give indications in advance so that the truck driver can understand and adjust accordingly to avoid any collision.
If you’re driving ahead of the truck, then try not to move too close to it because if the traffic stops suddenly, then the truck driver will have trouble seeing you and stopping in time. In case of a sudden change of lanes, the truck can hit into the car’s bumper.
- Maintain Safe Distance When You Are Behind The Truck: The best practice is to keep a distance of four seconds behind the truck. Never try to tailgate because if the truck stops suddenly and the rear-end collision manages to push your car under the lorry without the truck’s driver knowing it, it’s beyond imagination what can happen next.
Maintaining a safe distance from the truck is also important for giving you adequate time to react to rollovers and tire blowouts, which can be caused by winds. In case of a traffic jam, don’t come too close to the truck as you don’t know when the truck will start rolling back.
- Let the Truck Pass Safely: Large trucks take more than their own lane to make a safe turn. Always avoid moving sideways to a turning truck. Keep to the left, stay away from the blind spot, lower the speed, and give the truck enough space to pass. Never drive on the right if a truck is turning because trolleys don’t retrace the path of the engine; your car may be blocked in between the curb and the truck. In that case, your car is very likely to get crushed.
- Avoid the trolleys: You must have seen many disastrous videos on YouTube where the trollies cause accidents. The best tip is not to drive parallel to the trolleys and allow trucks complete time to trace the curved paths.
- Pass with Caution: Never forget that the trucks time to stop and to move through. While riding on an upward and downward slope, the drivers tend to increase or decrease their speed. So, you must never risk passing a truck in such areas. If you have to pass, then do it through the left where the truck driver can see you properly in the rearview, and maintain a constant speed while passing. Merge back until the truck driver is visible in your rearview mirror.
- Don’t Blind the Truck Driver: Trucks have large mirrors that reflect sharp headlights and can obscure the driver’s vision. So, when you are driving during the night, lower the lights whenever a truck is approaching you from the opposite side.
- Keep Patience: Delay is always better than a disaster.
Truck drivers operate under certain rules which limit their maximum speeds. If you’re behind a truck on a lane that is not so broad for you to take over, you may be tempted to honk and do all sorts of things to make the truck driver drive faster, but they won’t. Just be patient and never try to pass the trucks anyhow.
- Wear Seat Belts: Seat belts can be life-saving in truck accidents and all types of accidents. So, never miss wearing seatbelts when you’re on the road. They can save you from whiplash and concussions, and many other injuries.
- Don’t get Distracted: Distracted driving always comes with the unnecessary risk of accidents. The only difference near a truck is that the risk multiplies by several factors. Whenever you’re on the highway, the focus is the first device you need to wear.
The tips mentioned above can be very useful and life-saving when you’re driving around a truck. But if you’re caught in a collision with a truck, and it was because of the truck driver’s fault, then you must contact my Brampton Personal Injury Lawyers and me. Laws related to injury claims in truck accidents are a little different, and I can save you from the contributory negligence that the opposition party is sure to attempt.
Whether you need a free consultation or you want me to represent your claims in collisions with a truck, my Brampton Personal Injury Lawyers will give you the best services. So take care of these tips and remain safe, and if you or your dear ones got into an accident, I am here to help you.
