How to Avoid A Truck Accident with Defensive Driving Tips
Large trucks are responsible for transporting our goods and they travel all across the country to get the job done. Drivers in passenger vehicles should be extra cautious when driving near a large truck because the consequences of getting into a motor vehicle accident with a truck are serious and potentially deadly. The best way for passenger vehicles to reduce the risk of getting involved in a truck accident is to understand the ways that large trucks maneuver on roadways and to practice defensive driving.
If you are the victim of a truck accident, contact a local truck accident attorney to discuss your legal rights. The accident lawyer will assess your accident and injuries and may be able to represent you to help you negotiate or win an appropriate settlement.
Defensive driving tips to reduce the risk of a truck accident
These defensive driving tips are based on the ways that trucks operate differently from small passenger vehicles:
Leave extra space between your vehicle and a truck
Because trucks are big and often loaded up with thousands of pounds of cargo, their brake time is longer than that of smaller vehicles. If you are driving behind a truck, leave extra space so that if the trucker has to brake unexpectedly, you will have enough time to come to a stop safely behind the truck.
Never make an unexpected or hard stop in front of a truck
As we discussed above, trucks take longer to stop because of their weight. If you are driving in front of a truck and hit your brakes hard, the truck driver may not have enough time to come to a stop, forcing them to rear-end you or to swerve into oncoming traffic or off the road.
Beware of a truck’s blind spots
For drivers, a blind spot is an area where their view is obstructed; truck drivers have much larger blind spots than regular drivers. When you are driving behind or beside a truck, the general rule of thumb is that if you can’t see the truck driver’s face in their side mirror, they most likely can’t see you either because you are in their blind spot. If they can’t see you, they may try to move into your lane or make a turn that could cause a collision. Try to avoid staying in a truck driver’s blind spots, which are right in front, right behind and along each side; especially on the right side.
Leave lots of room for turning trucks
If you are pulling into an intersection with a large truck ahead of you, leave lots of room for them to make a turn. Large trucks like 18-wheelers need to make extra wide turns and often can’t share the intersection with other vehicles while turning. If you are in the truck’s blind spot while this is happening, you could end up being crashed into.
Seek the help of a truck accident attorney
If you or a loved one was injured because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced truck accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
