Defensive Driving can Save Your Life
Runing within the borders, Texas has 3,233 miles of interstate highway. Those long expanses help to connect major cities from one end of the country to another and make great thoroughfares for the trucking industry.
However, it also means that we share the roads with some of the busiest commercial trucking routes out there. An abundance of large trucks means that there are bound to be inattentive truck drivers. That doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t prevent a wreck – it just means everyone needs to be more vigilant.
Let’s tune in and see what the Car Crash Captain has to say about avoiding a semi-truck accident.
Avoiding a Semi-Truck Accident with Defensive Driving
If you’re the victim, you shouldn’t be worrying if you could have done more to prevent the accident. If you’re the victim of a truck accident, then the fault lies with the truck driver. We can only do so much, and then hope that other motorists are paying attention and following the laws of the road.
Maintain a Safe Distance
We all know that we should stay about two seconds behind the vehicle in front of us. Trucks, however, can’t maneuver quite as quickly as smaller rigs, and their size means they block the view of potential hazards coming up. Staying back 3,4, or even 5 seconds gives you more time to adjust if a wreck is imminent.
But wait, there’s more than just the distance behind the truck. A fully loaded semi-truck takes a long time to stop. If you whip into the lane right in front of them, you’re setting yourself up to be rear-ended. Make sure you’re leaving a good gap behind yourself to be safe (yes, we know you can’t help it if the truck driver then tailgates you, but you do have a choice to cut them off or not).
Watch for the Blind Spot
Because of how big a truck is, they have a substantial blind spot. Trucks hauling double, or even triple, trailers have even larger blind spots.
For the standard truck, a blind spot is 20 feet in front of them, and 30 feet behind them. If you’re within the no-no zone, they might not see you. Throw a little rain, snow, fog, or even just cloudy and dark days, and you’re even harder to see – especially if you’re partially into the blind spot.
Use Your Signals
It’s just common courtesy to let other motorists know your intentions on the road. But keep in mind that flipping on your signal indicates your intention, it doesn’t give you permission. You still have to wait for the appropriate amount of room before changing lanes.
Proper Vehicle Maintenance is Key
We just wrote about how you can help stave off a devastating wreck by maintaining your rig. Check out that blog post and make sure you have everything in order and you aren’t putting others at risk while you drive.
Travel at the Right Time
Most truck accidents happen between 3 and 6 pm. It’s the end of a long day, there’s more traffic on the roads, drivers are tired all around, and often people just want to get where they’re going so they take a bit more risk.
If you are intent on avoiding a semi-truck accident, then plan your road trip around those hours. Travel a little earlier, take a longer break in the afternoon, and avoid the congested areas near big cities during the evening rush hour.
Talk with Herbert Law Group if You were Injured
Let’s face it, no matter how good of a driver you are, there’s an equally bad driver out there. You can follow all the rules, be alert, prepared, and defensive, and then get hit by another motorist that is driving like a madman… or even just driving like a normal man, but distracted.
If you have been injured in a semi-truck accident, or a loved one was killed, we should talk. The insurance company likely won’t dole out the proper compensation on their own, so let Herbert Law Group encourage them to do the right thing.
Call us at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site. We’ll get to know you, figure out what happened, and see how we can help.