Taking a summer road trip can be a fun and exciting activity for you and your family. As
we drive out of the city and onto major trucking highways in Colorado such as Interstate
25, it is important to remember we are sharing the road with semi-trucks and driving
around them requires a new set of precautions. Semi-trucks are vital to the American
economy to deliver goods, with 5.6 million of them registered for driving on American
roads. With this volume, it’s important to take extra precautions to stay safe.
Just how dangerous are semi-trucks?
A semi-truck weighs about 70,000 pounds compared to the average weight of a car
around 3,000 pounds. With this weight difference and the momentum a moving truck
carries, it is very important to be careful when driving around them. In a collision, the
truck will always win. There are nearly half a million semi-truck accidents every year
resulting in more than 5,000 deaths in America alone.
What can I do to protect myself?
All cars have small blind spots, but when looking at semi-trucks there are many more
blind spots and they are much bigger. Never drive right in front of a semi-truck or within
100 feet behind one. This means leaving enough space before merging into their lane.
In regards to driving next to trucks, it’s best to avoid it all at times except when passing,
but if you can’t there are two major blind spots you should know about. The passenger
side of a semi-truck is the blindest area and is very dangerous if the truck is making a
turn. The driver’s side of the truck is safer when you are behind the cab and you make
sure you can see their side mirror clearly. Trucks generally maintain a lower speed than
cars so you should not have to drive close to them for very long on the open roads. In
addition to being aware of these blind spots, exercising the same cautions you would in
any driving situation will help keep you safe.
What do I do if I have an accident?
If the worst does happen and you are in an accident with a semi-truck it is important to
protect yourself. Semi-trucks in the United States are required to be insured with high
coverage liability policies often covering at least $1 million in damages. Seek treatment
for any and all injuries you have and set up insurance claims. At Franklin D. Azar &
Associates we are here to help you with your semi-truck collision. Call us now for a free
consultation and we will fight hard to get the compensation you deserve.
