Among the worst disasters on the road are truck accidents. Large commercial vehicles play a role in thousands of horrible events each year that take the lives of passengers. The injuries suffered in a collision can be catastrophic and forever change a victim’s life, even if they survive. In the case of a truck accident, prevention will always be better than treatment. You can contact a personal injury lawyer in Cedar Rapids to learn strategies to decrease your truck accident risk.
How to avoid dangerous truck accidents
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Stay out of no-zone
The enormously broad blind areas that surround huge rigs are known as the “No Zone.” Compared to an average passenger vehicle, tractors, trailers, and 18-wheelers have significantly greater blind areas. You can improve your safety by identifying and staying out of the no-zone when driving around huge cars. There is a zone on all four sides of a truck where you should try to avoid driving.
A truck driver cannot see you if you cannot see their face in the rearview mirror. Blind areas on a commercial truck are 20 feet in front of the vehicle, 30 feet behind the trailer, and two lanes to the right of the car. A huge truck requires more room around it than conventional automobiles.
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Pass quickly and safely.
A truck collision is more probable when you stay close to a huge truck. You can secure yourself by staying away from heavy trucks as soon as it is safe, even if you should never speed, weave through traffic, or breach any other traffic laws to do so. Increase your speed to avoid spending more time than required next to the vehicle by driving around it. Move fast to ensure a safe passing space when there is plenty of room in front of the truck. Never pass a huge truck making a left or right turn since trucks sometimes make broad moves and the driver might not be looking for you.
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Do not overestimate the truck’s braking ability.
Always maintain an appropriate following distance and avoid braking suddenly while behind a huge truck. Smaller cars have greater stopping power than commercial trucks. This is particularly valid in icy or rainy weather. When a heavy-duty truck is fully packed and traveling at 65 miles per hour, its stopping distance is around 525 feet, while an ordinary car’s stopping distance is 316 feet. Never cut off a truck driver because you could get into a horrible override or rear-end collision.
