Understanding Personal Injury Law

Summer Travel: How To Avoid A Collision With Freight Trucks

8 June 2016

Celina Nichols

As the summer season approaches, millions of families will be taking to the roads to embark on fun family vacations. With the elevated amount of traffic that will be on the highway, the likelihood of accidents will increase. All of this extra travel also means that motorists will be faced with sharing the roads with freight trucks as well. In some cases, accidents can between private vehicles and freight trucks. To prevent that from happening to you this summer, keep the following in mind when you are on the road:

Make Room For Big Trucks

One of the best things you can do to avoid an accident with a large freight truck is to provide plenty of room around them to allow them to properly navigate. These trucks need a lot of space to move around, stop, and turn safely. A freight truck cannot safely stop on a dime if another driver cuts it off. This can result in a terrible accident with the vehicles following the truck. It can also result in the truck tipping over into the roadway. To prevent being involved in a freight truck accident, always make sure you do not travel to closely to them.

Stay Out of a Truck's Blind Spot

Large freight trucks have very large blind spots, much larger than what is customary on regular vehicles. If you travel within a trucker's blind spot, he or she is not able to see you on the road and can accidentally collide with you if they attempt to change lanes. To prevent this from happening, avoid their blind spot as best you can. To do this, you need to remain far enough behind a truck so that you can see its mirrors. If you cannot see their mirrors, they cannot see you. You should also take care when passing a truck in the next lane. Be sure to check the next lane ahead to ensure you have ample room to pass without traveling directly next to the truck for a long period of time.

Check Your Speed

Driving a bit more slowly around large trucks can also be helpful, especially when the weather become ominous. Rain and hail are common in the summer season and are a common factor of trucking accidents. Do not tailgate and do not cut off trucks, as both of these can cause a truck to brake too quickly and hydroplane, leading to an accident.

If you do become involved in an accident with a freight truck, be sure to contact your truck accident attorney to see if it is possible to recover any damages you suffered. If you were the cause of the accident due to unsafe driving, you may be on the hook for your expenses.

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