Truck Accident Attorneys - Tips for Driving Safer Near Commercial Vehicles

Too often truck accident attorneys represent non-commercial drivers who are partially to blame for a collision. When driving near commercial vehicles, both drivers have a responsibility to practice traffic safety to help prevent crashes.

Truck accident attorneys deal with many collisions that could have been avoided by some simple safety tips. It isn't only the trucker that needs to be cautious. Many passenger vehicle drivers make risky moves or don't pay enough attention which can result in a crash. Here are some tips that can help both parties avoid a hazardous situation and help keep everyone safer on the road.

Passenger Vehicles

The best advice for preventing a collision with a commercial vehicle is to simply avoid them altogether. Whenever possible, stay in the far left lanes where most truckers will not drive. They will stay in the slower right hand lanes near the freeway exits. If you're on a two or one-lane highway, or need to exit, avoid driving alongside or closely behind them. There are several reasons for this including the dangers of a tire blowout, blind spots, wind shifting, and wide turns.

There is a strange trucker phenomenon that occurs often and may seem ridiculous to other drivers. A huge commercial vehicle will suddenly pull into the left lane, cutting off a driver and possibly even putting them in danger. While this is a bad practice by many truckers, it's not simply done out of madness. Building up speed can take a long time, which means that a slower driver in front of them can completely throw off their momentum as well as work schedule. Rather than bite the bullet and lose speed, they would rather take their chance and do a risky pass maneuver. While their reasoning doesn't make it okay to put you in a dangerous position, it is another reason to maintain a long distance even when travelling alongside them.

Commercial Vehicles

Truckers are completely different from other drivers in that they are on the job when they are on the roads. That means they are more prone to work-related stresses and issues that can result in a dangerous errors such as driving while fatigued, using illegal substances to maintain wakefulness, and speeding to keep to a tight schedule. Truck accident attorneys often represent clients who have been a victim of an overworked and overtired driver that has had a momentary lapse in judgment. It's crucial that employees follow state and national regulations regarding transport, as well as carefully monitor their own well-being while on the job.

So how do the courts and insurance companies determine who is ultimately responsible for the collision? Current estimates put commercial driver fault rates at about 20% and passenger drivers at roughly 80%. In many cases there may be some degree of shared responsibility. If you believe a crash was primarily the fault of a commercial driver, don't hesitate to consult with several truck accident attorneys before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company. The laws for dealing with a commercial entity are much different than those between two individuals driving privately owned cars. You'll also need a lawyer to help you quickly secure important evidence such as driving logs.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR