While any motor vehicle accident can have devastating consequences, collisions involving commercial trucks are particularly severe. These vehicles are massive, weighing up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. That’s about 20 times the weight of even a good-sized passenger pickup. This means they cause considerable force when they collide with a smaller vehicle – enough to rip through crumple zones, shatter plexiglass, and bend steel frames. Occupants of those vehicles often suffer life-altering or even fatal injuries as a result.
There are several ways that both truck drivers and other road users can do their part to prevent commercial truck accidents. For truckers, that involves adhering to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) guidelines, maintaining their vehicles adequately, and following their training. For the rest of us, that means learning and implementing five key safety tips every time we share the road with large commercial vehicles.
Have you been injured in a Portland commercial truck collision that was someone else’s fault? If so, you could be entitled to compensation for what you’ve suffered as a result. Contact Rizk Law today for a free consultation with a truck accident lawyer in Portland. We’ll explain what we can do to protect your rights and demand justice on your behalf.
Key Safety Tips to Avoid Trucking Accidents
If you’re wondering how to avoid truck accidents, follow these five tips to stay safe while driving around commercial trucks.
1. Maintain a Safe Following Distance
One of the biggest dangers of large trucks is just that: their sheer size. Follow one of these vehicles too closely, and the massive trailer will block your field of vision. You won’t be able to see potential hazards coming until it’s too late to react if the truck driver slams on the brakes.
While tailgating other vehicles is always dangerous, it is especially hazardous with commercial vehicles. Trucks are tall enough that passenger vehicles can get wedged underneath them in a rear-end collision. This can cause the truck’s bumper to shatter the smaller vehicle’s windshield and slam into the vehicle occupants behind it.
2. Stay Out of Blind Spots
The dimensions and layout of a semi-truck mean that it has massive blind spots on every side of the vehicle, areas so large that they’re known as “no-zones.” Don’t linger in these no-zones, as a truck driver cannot easily see you while you’re there and might merge into you by accident.
A good rule of thumb to remember is that if you can’t see a truck’s driver, the driver can’t see you, either. When following a semi-truck, leave enough distance so that you can see the truck’s side-view mirrors. Try not to drive next to a semi-truck except to pass.
3. Practice Defensive Driving
Defensive driving is a term for anticipating potential hazards before they happen and being prepared to respond to them as necessary. It would be nice to be able to expect the motorists and truckers around you to exercise caution. However, the sad fact is that not everyone takes their responsibilities as seriously as they should. Defensive driving is a way to lower the risk of being in an accident even when other drivers aren’t operating their vehicles responsibly.
Here are a few key tips:
- Stay focused – Avoid distractions like texting, eating, or adjusting the radio to keep full attention on the road.
- Use your mirrors and check blind spots – Regularly check your mirrors and look over your shoulder before changing lanes.
- Always signal your intentions – Use turn signals and brake lights early to inform other drivers of your next move.
- Be aware of your surroundings – Continuously scan the road ahead, behind, and to the sides to anticipate potential dangers.
4. Obey Speed Limits and Traffic Laws
Speed limits and traffic laws exist for a reason. Speed control is a crucial factor in truck accident prevention, as excessive speed reduces reaction time and increases stopping distances, which can be catastrophic given the size and weight of commercial vehicles. Drivers who exceed speed limits or don’t adjust for road conditions not only put themselves at risk but also force drivers around them to adapt to their dangerous behavior and take evasive action, often with little warning.
Following other traffic laws can prevent the worst from happening. You should always yield the right-of-way when required, obey traffic signals, and only change lanes when it’s safe.
5. Be Cautious in Bad Weather
Weather can reduce visibility and traction, increasing the risks of a collision. Always adjust your driving behaviors to account for these hazards. Slow down and increase following distances when driving in rain, snow, and fog. If conditions become too bad, pull to the side of the road when it’s safe, and don’t get back into the roadway until conditions have improved.
Contact a Portland Commercial Truck Accident Lawyer
If you were injured in a truck accident someone else caused in the Portland area, you could be owed compensation for what you’ve suffered – from the costs of your medical care and lost wages to the pain and suffering you’ve endured. Unfortunately, trucking companies and their insurance providers are not eager to pay out claims, as doing so cuts into their profits.
Fight back against their tactics with help from an experienced personal injury lawyer with Rizk Law. We understand the nuances and challenges these cases present, and although past results don’t guarantee future outcomes, we have a proven track record of delivering results. For example, we secured $900,000 for a client who was T-boned by a distracted commercial truck driver and suffered broken bones, back pain, and joint injuries as a result.
While you concentrate on resting and getting better, we’ll get busy investigating the crash, identifying all liable parties, and holding them accountable. Our commitment is to our clients, which is why they give us testimonials like the following:
“Phenomenal assistance with the most caring and awesome lawyers you can find. They will fully invest in you and you’re case and go above and beyond.”
Choose a law firm that views your claim as seriously as you do. Contact Rizk Law today for a free consultation with a Portland commercial truck accident attorney, and let’s demand justice together.
