6 Safety Tips for Driving Around Semi Trucks | Patrick Daniel Law

Driving powering a semi truck can be harmful. If the truck driver brakes unexpectedly or loses control, you can out of the blue obtain by yourself with no way to avoid a critical accident.

Although you might be entitled to fiscal compensation for losses sustained in a truck accident, coping with the outcomes of severe traumatic injuries is a little something you want to avoid if at all feasible.

If you come across oneself driving powering a semi truck, there are some security strategies you will want to maintain in thoughts. Below is an overview of what to do (and what not to do) when you are sharing the highway with a semi truck in Houston:

What to Do When Driving Powering a Semi Truck

1. Make Sure You Can See the Truck’s Mirrors

If you can’t see the truck’s mirrors, the truck driver just can’t see you. To remain visible to the driver of an 18-wheeler, make sure you retain satisfactory length between your car and the truck. If you are driving in a extensive lane, you can also generate nearer to the still left side of the lane so that your motor vehicle is extra straight at the rear of the sideview mirror on the driver’s aspect of the rig.

2. Fork out Consideration

Driving at the rear of a semi truck is not a time to get distracted. It is never safe and sound to be distracted driving the wheel, but interruptions can be specially dangerous when you are in the vicinity of a significant commercial truck.

The Texas Division of Transportation recorded 80,451 distracted driver crashes in 2020 (the most current year of knowledge). A total of 327 of these mishaps resulted in fatalities and virtually 24,000 resulted in some diploma of damage. To help protect oneself, your travellers, and other motorists all-around you, leave your mobile phone by itself and devote your complete notice to the process at hand.

Examine Much more: Houston Automobile Incident Data

3. Go When It Is Safe (and Lawful) to Do So

Most drivers do not want to travel guiding a semi truck for extensive. Not only is it inconvenient, but lots of motorists feel awkward becoming in close proximity to such huge and hefty automobiles.

No make any difference how significantly you want to put some distance involving your car or truck and the semi, nevertheless, you must only consider to pass when disorders are right. Ahead of passing, make guaranteed you have place to get above (you need to generally go on the still left except if the truck driver is occupying the leftmost lane), switch on your indicator, and then go into the adjacent lane with out getting also near to the rear of the truck.

What Not to Do When Driving At the rear of a Semi Truck

1. Do Not Tailgate the Truck

Under no situations should you observe a semi truck as well closely. If the truck stops suddenly, you might not have enough time to respond in order to stay away from a collision. Moreover, if you are so near that the truck driver simply cannot see you, the driver might take care of unexpected emergency situations in another way than if he or she realized you were there.

Even if the semi truck is going underneath the speed restrict or driving in the remaining lane when it really should get in excess of to the appropriate, these are not motives to put you in a harmful condition. Remain quiet, stay affected person, and observe the regulations of the road for secure and lawful passing.

2. Do Not Suppose the Truck’s Brake Lights and Switch Indicators Work

According to data from the Federal Motor Provider Safety Administration, more than 10 p.c of all commercial truck inspection violations contain an “inoperable expected lamp.” In other text, far more than one in 10 semi trucks have a brake mild, switch sign, or other light that doesn’t operate.

With this in mind, when driving guiding a semi truck, you ought to not count only on the truck’s lights to realize what the truck driver is carrying out at the rear of the wheel. Depart a lot of distance, pay out notice, and be well prepared to brake if the truck slows down or begins to swerve.

3. Do Not Make the Situation Extra Unsafe for Oneself or Other individuals

When driving behind a semi truck, the previous matter you want to do is produce additional risks for the truck driver, other motorists, and your self. As such, you must steer clear of driving aggressively and abide by the policies of the street. Really don’t merge into the adjacent lane with out adequate home to do so, and really do not reduce off the truck driver as soon as you get previous.

Of study course, in some cases you won’t be ready to get out from driving a semi truck, and there won’t be everything you can do to defend oneself from staying involved in an incident. If this comes about, you really should seek professional medical treatment method correct absent (acquire an ambulance from the scene of the incident if necessary). Following, you need to talk with a Houston truck accident law firm as soon as possible.

Find out How Patrick Daniel Regulation Can Support

Patrick Daniel Law has in depth encounter handling truck incident statements. Founder and taking care of associate Patrick Daniel is regarded as a top legal professional in the place of substantial-stakes trucking accident litigation.

Meet Truck Incident Attorney Patrick Daniel

If you or another person you enjoy has been concerned in a Houston truck accident, get in touch with Patrick Daniel Regulation at (713) 999-6666 currently for a absolutely free circumstance evaluate. Our truck incident lawyer serves shoppers all through Houston, all of Texas, and nationwide.