Commercial trucks such as delivery trucks and big rigs present special dangers to smaller cars and their passengers. Not just will truck drivers have to be aware of the dangers that are presented by their unwieldy and large cars, yet other motorists also have to use additional caution in their presence. Seemingly small driving mistakes, such as not signaling before passing, may result in tragedy as an 18-wheeler is involved, particularly at higher speeds.
Truck Accidents that are caused by Passenger Car Drivers
Drivers of passenger cars oftentimes are to blame for accidents with big rigs or additional larger commercial trucks. The most typical kind of unsafe action performed by vehicle drivers who get in accidents with big trucks has to do with ignorance of the truck’s performance abilities, like limits related to braking, acceleration, and visibility.
Typical unsafe actions committed by vehicle drivers in the area of larger trucks, which oftentimes result in truck accidents, involve:
- Driving within the “No-Zones” — the spaces beside and behind a commercial truck in which a truck driver has zero or limited visibility.
- Abruptly changing lanes in front of the truck.
- Maneuvering to the right of the truck which is making a right turn.
- Misjudging the approaching truck’s speed in an intersection, and making a left turn in the front of a truck.
- Improperly merging in traffic, and causing a truck to quickly brake or maneuver.
- Not slowing down or speeding up as a truck starts to merge or change lanes.
- Unsafe passing, especially passing without enough headway.
- Passing a truck, and being blown out of position by cross-wind or air turbulence.
- Pulling in traffic from a roadside in front of the truck without sufficiently accelerating.
- Driving in between larger trucks.
For more information on causes of truck accidents, contact Fisk & Monteleone Ltd. Law Firm at 815-315-0574.
