How you can avoid commercial truck accidents

Trucking accidents are extremely dangerous for passenger vehicle drivers. While a crash may not cause much harm to the truck driver, the passenger vehicle driver can suffer catastrophic injuries or worse. Despite how dangerous these accidents are, truck accidents are at a 30 year high.

While there is plenty that a truck driver should be doing to drive safely, there are also things other drivers can do to protect themselves. Here are a few precautions anyone can take to avoid these disastrous accidents:

Stay out of blind spots

Every vehicle has its blind spots, and it stands to reason that the bigger the vehicle, the bigger its blind spots. For semi-trucks, their blind spots are massive. The 30 feet in front of and behind a truck are blind spots. The front half of the left side of a truck and the entire length of the right side of a truck are also blind spots. If you are in these areas, it is more than likely that the truck driver cannot see you.

Give trucks extra space

Larger vehicles also need additional space to come to a complete stop. Although you may be outside of a truck’s blind spot, you still may be in its crash zone if it should suddenly need to stop. If possible, avoid being directly in front of or behind a truck. Driving next to a truck can also be dangerous if the truck driver attempts to change lanes and does not see you.

Do not cut off a truck driver

Larger vehicles at higher speeds have less time to react to sudden changes on the road. Cutting off a truck driver can cause them to lose control of their truck and cause a serious accident. A driver coming out of one of the truck’s blind spots can be especially startling, so be sure the truck driver can see you before maneuvering around them.

Taking your safety for granted is dangerous

Although you may have never been in a car accident, even the most experienced driver can get into an accident with a commercial truck. The best way to make sure you avoid these accidents is by giving these trucks the space they need and making sure they can see you before driving past or around them.