There are 3.5 million professional truck driving men and women navigating some of the busiest highways, delivering essential goods across the country. National Truck Driver Appreciation Week takes place September 10 – 16, 2017. Show your appreciation by practicing safe driving procedures while sharing the road with these big rigs. Arizona truck accident attorneys offer these key safety practices to help prevent accidents with a tractor trailer.
Big Rig Crash Stats in Arizona
Big trucks typically account for a small percentage of the total vehicle accidents in Arizona. However, when a larger vehicle collides with a much smaller one, the outcome is likely to be serious, even fatal. This is especially true for the driver/passengers in the smaller vehicle. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, semi-trucks either with or without a trailer were involved in 2,522 accidents in 2016. These included 54 fatal crashes and 618 accidents with injuries.
Our Arizona truck accident attorneys hope you realize many of these accidents are avoidable. Impaired, fatigued, or distracted drivers should never operate any motor vehicle. Ideally, a driver’s focus should be wholly on the safety of the other motorists around them. Passenger vehicle operators must also always be aware. There is an increased danger posed by sharing the road with vehicles larger than theirs.
It’s essential for every driver to focus on safety when driving. Still, it’s even more important when traveling alongside large trucks and buses. These vehicles are bigger and weigh more, which translates to significant operating limitations like larger blind spots, longer stopping distance requirements and extremely limited maneuverability.
Safe Driving Tips
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration publishes driving tips to help keep everyone safer while sharing the road with big trucks and buses. Some critical tips include:
- Stay out blind spots. If you can’t see a truck driver’s mirrors, they can’t see you. Never assume the driver can see you.
- Don’t linger in a blind spot while passing. Never pass on the right and make sure you can see the driver in the mirror before quickly and safely passing on the left.
- Give trucks extra space before pulling out in front of them either at a corner or while changing lanes. An 80,000-pound truck doing 65 miles per hour can take up to 300 feet to come to a complete stop after hitting the brakes.
- Give trucks a wide berth. Because of their length, semi-trucks must turn wide when executing right turns. Drivers may initiate right turns in the middle or outside lane, rather than the right lane, so don’t get between them and the curb. Also, if you’re in the nearest lane on the side they’re turning into, don’t pull up past the line. Large vehicles won’t have enough space to safely get around the corner.
- Never drive alongside a semi-truck for long distances on the right side of the vehicle. This puts you in a major blind spot. If the truck needs to make a sudden lane change, it could crush your car. Plus, if the truck has a blowout, you won’t have time to react
Remember, when you crash with a big rig, you’re in a much smaller vehicle and more likely to be seriously injured or killed in the accident.
Hire Top Arizona Truck Accident Attorneys
After taking every precaution possible, accidents can still happen. If you’ve been involved in an accident with a truck, call the Arizona truck accident attorneys at Lerner & Rowe. Our personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and will fight to get the compensation you deserve. Our office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but we’re available to take your call 24/7 at (602) 977-1900 or toll-free at (844) 977-1900, or use our LiveChat online.