There tends to be a significant increase in commercial truck traffic both during and after the holiday season. Many stores significantly change their inventory to account for the holidays, including selling decor, popular gift items, and foodstuffs that are popular this time of year. As the New Year rings in, stores will need to restock their shelves with items catering to the next big commercial holiday - Valentine’s Day - as well as bringing in spring inventory. For this reason, more trucks can be seen on the road transporting goods to stock the shelves of retailers.
Whether you are driving around your town or traveling a longer distance, driving next to several large commercial trucks can be dangerous if you are not careful. The following are some tips for driving next to trucks on the highway.
Give them space - Commercial trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds1 if their trailers are fully loaded with cargo. This extra weight means that trucks require significantly more time and distance to come to a stop or to slow down to avoid a crash. Drivers of smaller vehicles should always be aware of this fact and should avoid driving too close in front of a truck or “cutting off” a truck with a sudden lane change. If a truck cannot stop and collides into the back of your car, it can actually drive onto your car due to its high clearance, which is known as an override accident. This type of accident can cause severe injuries to motorists, especially people or children riding in the backseat.
Avoid “no-zones” - The blind spots on trucks are substantially greater than those on regular passenger vehicles. For examples, blind spots on trucks exist in the following places:
- Directly in front of the truck
- Next to the passenger side door of the truck
- Alongside the trailer (on both sides)
- Behind the truck
You should always avoid spending periods of time driving in one of these no-zones to help avoid accidents whenever possible.
Call a Michigan Truck Accident Lawyer for Help Today
No matter how careful you are, truck drivers can still be negligent and can cause serious accidents and injuries. If you are involved in a crash, call a skilled Michigan truck accident attorney to discuss your case as soon as possible. The office of Michigan Injury Lawyers always offers free consultations and will stand up for your rights, so call today at 313-GET-HELP.
1http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight/sw/overview/index.htm