Ways to Avoid Trucking Accidents

July 5, 2016 | By Colombo Law

Trucking companies have millions of vehicles on the roadways each year, transporting goods to and from destinations across the United States. While transporting goods by trucks is required for the nation’s commerce, trucks increase the chance of fatality in the event of an accident on the roadway. In fact, when a truck is involved in a collision it is often a multi-vehicle pile-up causing serious personal injury or death to travelers. If you or your loved one has been involved in an accident with a truck and are in need of representation to get compensation for your injury, contact Colombo Law today for a no-risk initial consultation.

Although trucking accidents can occur in an instant and leave you victim to injuries and excruciating pain, the following is a list of some practices that can help avoid a collision with a truck:

• Avoid Tailgating: Many tractor trailers have signage on the back of the truck indicating “IF YOU CAN’T SEE MY MIRRORS, I CAN’T SEE YOU.” Ensuring that you leave additional room behind trucks helps to avoid a rear end collision. Rear end collisions with trucks can lead to serious injury or death. In addition, trucks have a no visibility zone when driving at specific points on each side of the fleet (located at the left rear quarter and right rear quarter of the vehicle). You should ensure you pass with care and drive outside of the no visibility zone to avoid an accident.
• Carefully Change Lanes: Trucks take much more time than the average vehicle to slow down. A fully loaded truck can weigh more than 80,000 pounds, while the average weight of a car is 3,000 pounds. Changing lanes abruptly or requiring a truck to significantly reduce speed could cause the driver to lose control of the truck and become involved in an accident. To avoid this type of accident avoid merging or changing lanes too closely in front of a truck. In addition, be sure to accelerate when you are changing lanes in front of a truck.
• Weather Conditions: Weather conditions also limit the ability for a driver to control the truck and its load. In snow, rain, or ice, truck drivers can lose their ability to steer or properly brake. The force of the trailer that swings out as the truck jackknifes can cause a deadly accident. During bad weather conditions, it is best to stay as far away from a big rig as possible.

Contact Colombo Law Today

While it is possible to avoid some collisions, other collisions will be outside of your control. If you have been involved in any type of accident with a truck that resulted in injury, contact Colombo Law today to have one of our attorneys engage in a no-risk review of your claim.