It only takes a fraction of a second for a wayward semi-truck to cause catastrophic damage to unsuspecting motorists. Those who are fortunate enough to survive these accidents can experience long-term mobility loss, pain and suffering, emotional and psychological turmoil and devastating financial losses. While a personal injury lawsuit is probably the best way to find accountability and recover compensation for these damages, the hope is that you can avoid being in this position to begin with. But with so many semi-trucks out on the road nowadays, how can you keep yourself and your family safe?
There are several factors that can contribute to a serious truck accident. This includes excessive speed, fatigue, hours of service violations, distraction, poor truck maintenance and improper training. While many of those factors are outside of your control, there are steps you can take to mitigate your risk of being involved in a truck accident. Let’s look at some of them here.
- Give plenty of space: Semi-trucks can move in erratic ways. If you’re taken by surprise and have insufficient time to react, then you’re going to wind up in an accident. By giving plenty of space between yourself and the truck in question, though, you can ensure that you’ll have ample time to safely respond to any unexpected movements made by the truck. A good rule of thumb is to keep three or four seconds between yourself and the truck in front of you and to stay back when a truck is attempting to turn.
- Avoid blind spots: Given their size, semi-trucks have significant blind spots in all directions. You’ll want to stay out of these areas so that you remain seen and so that the trucker doesn’t make a movement that results in a wreck. So, avoid being too close to the front or rear of the truck, and if you have to pass directly next to a big rig be sure to do so quickly. Lingering in these lanes next to a truck increases the risk of being involved in a crash.
- Let faster trucks pass: Some drivers become upset when a semi-truck tries to pass them, and as a result they speed up and try to avoid having the truck move in front of them. This can create a dangerous situation and anger the trucker, which in turn may lead to road rage. If a truck is driving faster than you and looking to pass, it’s best to let them do so quickly and safely.
- Stay attentive: Distraction is a real problem out on the road. While not everyone is texting and driving or trying to read emails while behind the wheel, a lot of drivers take their eyes off the road momentarily for other distractions. This can be something as simple as interacting with passengers in the vehicle or looking at a billboard. By always remaining attentive, you can decrease your chances of being involved in a severe truck accident.
Take action if you’ve already been hurt in a truck accident
If you or someone you know has already been hurt in a truck crash, then now is the time to act. By aggressively pursuing a personal injury case, you might be able to hold a negligent trucker and their employer accountable and recover much needed compensation to offset the losses you’ve experienced. If that’s something you’re interested in learning more about doing, then now is the time to read up on the personal injury legal process and what you can do to strengthen your claim.