6 Safety Tips for Driving Around Semi-Trucks

By Staff Writer

Physics isn’t on your side if you’re in a passenger vehicle involved in an accident with a large semi truck. Large trucks have the mass and momentum to cause you, your passengers and your vehicle serious injury and damage.

Houston injury lawyer, Neal Davis, also mentioned this statistic: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that around 342,000 trucks were involved in reported crashes in 2013 and those accidents resulted in 95,000 injuries and 3,964 deaths.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimates that there were 415,000 accidents involving large trucks in 2016 alone.

Steer clear of becoming a statistic.

Here are some safety tips for driving around semi- trucks:

Tip #1: Stay Out of the Blind Spot

Trucks have large blind spots called “No Zones.” Look in the mirrors of a truck, if you can’t see the truck driver’s face, the truck driver most likely can’t see you. Avoid these no zones as much as possible.

Tip #2: Never Cut Off A Semi

Large cargo trucks with heavy loads have a large mass to stop and need a lot of room to stop. Give them space. It’s estimated that a fully loaded truck requires the distance of two football fields to fully stop at highway speeds in good driving conditions.

In bad driving conditions or when the truck is overloaded, the stopping time may be even longer.

Tip #3: Don’t Tailgate

If you’re following a semi-truck too closely and the driver has to stop suddenly, you may slide right under them. Again, give the truck some room.

Tip #4: Pass and Be Passed Safely

When passing, use your signals and pass quickly so that you aren’t in the driver’s blind spot for long. Never travel in their blind spot.

When a semi truck is passing you, try to slow down a little so they can get around you quickly.

Tip #5: Give Trucks Ample Room To Turn

Trucks need a large space to turn. Don’t try to squeeze in between the truck and the curb.

Tip #6: Be Patient

Sometimes trucks have restrictions when driving on certain roads, such as a lower speed limits. Be patient. Driving aggressively can lead to a deadly accident.

Have you been injured in an accident involving a large truck? Contact our compassionate and experienced Tennessee truck accident lawyers at Gilreath & Associates today for your free consultation.

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