Each year, truck accidents in Homestead cause serious injuries and cost lives. Across the country, accidents involving commercial trucks cause devastation. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 3,373 people lost their lives across the country in 2011 due to accidents involving tractor-trailers. Many more people in Florida and across the U.S. suffer serious injuries such as fractures and head injuries as a result of these types of accidents.
Trucks are necessary for transporting goods and underpinning businesses across the state. When truck and car accidents in Homestead and other cities occur, motorists in passenger cars are most likely to be injured or killed in this type of accident. A passenger car simply has no chance against a much larger big rig.
For this reason and since many truck-car accidents are caused due to driver error, safety experts say that motorists can do a great deal to help prevent traffic crashes in Homestead and other cities. If you drive a passenger car, you can help by:
•Never cutting off a large truck. A tractor-trailer or semi traveling at 55 miles per hour takes the equivalent of two football fields to come to a complete stop. If you cut off a large truck, you are doing more than just being a rude driver – you are risking your life and the lives of your passengers. If you cut off a large truck and the truck driver has to slam on the brakes, you will likely be injured in a serious rear-end shunt accident in Homestead or your community.
•Stay safe around trucks making right turns. Semis will often pull into the left lane and swing wide when making a right turn. You need to give the truck added room to avoid being involved in a squeeze play accident. Never try to go around the truck – it could cost you your life.
•Don’t tailgate trucks. Trucks can drift backwards when they change gears. If you are following a truck uphill, especially, you could be involved in an accident if you don’t give the vehicle extra room.
•Make sure you can see the truck driver in his or her mirrors. Semis have blind spots in front of the truck, on the sides of the cab, and behind the vehicle. Keep sight of the driver in their mirrors and make eye contact to ensure that the driver can see you and is aware of your car.
•If you must pull over, pull over all the way to the shoulder. Large trucks take up a lot of room on highways and in lanes. If you are too close to a lane, a truck might brush into your vehicle. A drifting truck can also collide with your car.
Everyone has a responsibility for staying safe on the roads. Studies have shown that many car and truck accidents are caused by driver error in many cases, so taking care to drive safely could help you reduce your risk of a collision.
Would you like to speak to a personal injury attorney about the injuries you have sustained in a truck accident? Contact the full service law firm of Flaxman Law Group today for a free accident consultation.