How to Stay Safe When Driving Near Trucks
Tractor-trailers. Semis. Mac trucks. 18 wheelers. While the name for these giants of the road varies depending on where you live they always have one thing in common, the potential to be a lethal weapon. One of the most dangerous aspects of long-haul trucking is the sheer, overwhelming exhaustion that every driver experiences at some point. Their schedules are demanding, requiring the coverage of thousands of miles within a very strict, sometimes unreasonable time frame.
Each trucker has their own way of fighting the fatigue. Some load up on coffee and energy drinks, others roll the windows down and turn the music up, while yet others may even turn to illegal narcotics in an effort to stay alert and awake. One thing that all of the solutions have in common is that they keep the driver on the road, headed down the highway, possibly in the lane right next to you. If you have been injured in a car accident in the Los Angeles, California area in which a tractor-trailer was involved, you need to contact a personal injury attorney right away.
Large trucking companies have teams of lawyers at the ready. In order to be in the best possible position for winning damages that you may be legally entitled to it is best to have an experienced truck accident attorney on your side, fighting for you. Since not driving is not an option for most people, there are some things that you can do to help keep the roads safe so that you and your family can keep on truckin’.
Stay Out of Blind Spots
Tractor-trailers have massive blind spots on all four sides of their vehicle. If you cannot see the face of the truck driver in the truck’s side view mirrors, it is best to assume that the truck driver cannot see you. Slow down or speed up within reasonable limits in order to ensure that you are visible to the truck driver.
Use Caution When Passing
Always be sure to use your blinker to indicate to the truck driver as well as the vehicles around you that you intend to change lanes. Accelerate immediately, you do not want to linger in the driver’s blind spot. When you change lanes in front of the driver always give them plenty of extra space to work with. Never pass on a downgrade as this is when large vehicles pick up speed.
Don’t Tailgate
While this is good advice as a general rule of the road, it is especially essential when you are behind a tractor-trailer. If the truck comes to a sudden stop you run the risk of sliding under the truck. If another driver were to rear-end you in a car accident, you could easily be pushed under the truck. If you find yourself stopped on an upward grade behind a tractor-trailer be sure to stop your vehicle far enough back to allow the truck room to backslide.
Southern California Truck Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in which a tractor-trailer was involved you be entitled to monetary damages under California law. Before you speak with someone at an insurance company, you need to protect yourself by speaking to a truck accident attorney in the Los Angeles area. Contact one of our personal injury attorneys here at the Los Angeles Injury Group by calling (310) 954-7248 for a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your specific case.