Large commercial trucks, such as big rigs and tractor trailers, pose a serious danger on the road – especially for smaller road users. If you’re involved in a car accident in Homestead or anywhere in southern Florida involving a large truck, you may suffer severe injuries.
If you’re a pedestrian, however, your chances of surviving any collision involving a commercial truck are small. With no barriers or systems of protections, pedestrians are very vulnerable and can easily be crushed by an eighteen wheeler or other large truck. There are, fortunately, ways you can prevent pedestrian accidents involving trucks when you’re walking outdoors:
1) Never walk intoxicated.
It may seem preferable to walk home if you’ve been drinking rather than take your car. However, just as drinking affects your ability to drive, it also affects your ability to walk safely. Your mobility, judgment, and balance may all be affected. It can be too easy for you to wander into traffic, fail to look both ways before you cross the street, or even lose consciousness if you have consumed enough alcohol. It is always safer to get a ride with a friend or to take a taxi.
2) Never walk distracted.
Trying to walk while playing PokémonGo, texting, or otherwise checking your phone can mean you wander into traffic or fail to notice changing traffic lights. Similarly, if you’re listening to music as you walk, you may not hear approaching traffic or the sound of a truck backing up. Unless you are on a designated walking trail, always be mindful of the possibility that trucks may be sharing the road with you. Look around and make sure you’re aware of your surroundings at all times.
3) Stay out of the way of large trucks.
Trucks have very large blind spots. Truck drivers may not notice passenger cars in their blind spots, meaning they are even more likely to overlook a pedestrian. Avoid walking directly in front of or behind large trucks if the engine is on and the truck driver may move the vehicle. Use caution if you need to walk around a truck.
4) Stay visible to drivers.
One of the best ways to determine whether a truck driver sees you is to make eye contact with the driver. If you’re out walking, consider walking with a friend and wearing reflective or light-colored clothing so you easily visible. Stay in places where drivers expect to see pedestrians – such as on sidewalks, in crosswalks, or in designated walking areas. Avoid walking on highway shoulders, or trying to share the road with trucks and other vehicles.
If you have been injured in an intersection accident in Homestead or in any truck accident in southern Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group. We’d like to offer you a free accident consultation so you can review your situation and your options with a personal injury attorney.