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Semi-Trucks are Different

Semi-trucks are a significant problem on America's highways. The size and weight of trucks can cause significant damage to smaller vehicles, resulting in expensive settlements, injuries, and even death. Additionally, trucks have a low road clearance, which can result in catastrophic damage when hitting low obstacles. There are various reasons truck accidents occur and many ways to prevent them from occurring.

  • Fatigued Driving

    Falling asleep at the wheel of a semi-truck can be disastrous for drivers and passengers of other vehicles and for pedestrians and bikers. While the industry has made great strides in truck driver training and enacting laws specifically for truck drivers, there is still a tremendous cause for concern. Drowsy driving is a dangerous type of driver impairment and occurs when a driver too sleepy or fatigued to safely drive his or her rig.

  • Dangerous Blind Spots

    Many semi-truck accidents occur due to blind spots where the driver's vision is impaired. In most situations, the truck driver cannot see at least 11 feet of space behind the trailer. This area always reserves the potential for an unexpected accident to occur. Other drivers should show caution when approaching a semi-truck.

  • Maintain Safe Distance

    Acceleration and braking with a semi-truck require more distance and time than a car, pickup, or van. Most cars may require 300 feet to begin braking before a stop, while a semi-truck requires double the amount. Additionally, semi-trucks need a vast amount of room for turning right or left, potentially trapping other vehicles in their path. On many occasions, a truck accident lawyer will have a more difficult time proving a semi-truck driver is at fault when these situations occur.

Hazardous Driving Habits

Truck driver errors cause thousands of injuries each year. It can be due to the driver being distracted or driving while intoxicated. Further, poor training or inexperience can cause significant accidents on the road as well.

Driving a semi is dangerous and driving next to one is equally risky. The trucking industry still has a long way to go regarding driver safety. With the number of truck drivers in the hundreds of thousands, it is hard for the trucking industry to avoid mishaps. When accidents happen, the trucking industry will often collect accident data and use it to help make trucking safer for everyone.