Hi! My name is Sam, and I started this blog to help other injured people. Before you start reading, let me tell you a little about myself. Ten years ago, I slipped on a slice of fruit in a grocery store. My leg slid out from under me, and in a freak twist, it was rendered useless. I could no longer work and struggled with intense pain every day. Luckily, I found an accident and injury attorney who was able to get me the compensation I needed to cover my medical bills and my lost time at work. However, while I waited for the settlement to come through, I had to get creative physically and financially. This blog is dedicated to anyone who is in that limbo position. I hope the posts here help you decide what to do while you wait for the results of your trial.
Each year, there are thousands of fatalities as a result of truck accidents. And many of these accidents are totally avoidable. All drivers on the road--truck drivers and traditional drivers alike--have a responsibility to share the road as safely as possible. Unfortunately, not all drivers know the proper guidelines to follow while sharing the road with semi trucks. Specifically, there are a few safety tips that ought to be kept in mind that could help to cut down on instances of truck accidents nationwide.
Pulling Out in Front of a Truck
Due to their massive size and weight, semi trucks require a much longer stopping distance in order to brake or come to a complete stop. Therefore, if you're pulling out in front of a semi truck, make sure that there's plenty of space for you to accelerate so that you can catch up with the flow of traffic. This applies not only when pulling out in front of a semi, but even merging in front of one on the freeway.
Avoiding Truckers' Blind Spots
Trucks have several blind spots due to their large size, so you should be aware of these and avoid them as much as possible while driving. Despite the large and numerous mirrors that today's semi trucks are equipped with, there are still certain areas where a trucker may not be able to see you. This includes if you're directly behind the truck or far enough back on either side of the truck to where you can't see their mirrors. Avoid lingering in these areas at all costs.
Using Headlights Properly
When driving behind a semi truck, you shouldn't use your brights. Unfortunately, if you use your brights directly behind a semi truck, the beams of the lights can reflect off the truck's mirrors and cause a glaring, blinding effect to you or other drivers around you.
Handling a Truck's Wide Turn
When behind a truck that's attempting to make a right turn, never attempt to duck around the truck on the shoulder or in the right turn lane in order to pass. This is a cause of so many truck accidents each year and it's completely avoidable. Because trucks make wide turns, this type of driving behavior can easily cause an accident. Instead, if you see that a truck is trying to turn right, stop and wait for the truck to complete its turn. Patience is a virtue.
For additional reading and information, try visiting the websites of truck accident attorneys and local regulatory agencies in your area.
Share12 November 2015
