Share the Highway with Semi-Trucks: Advice from an Auto Accident Attorney

Auto Accident Attorney: Tips for Highway Driving Around Semi-Trucks

When it comes to highway driving, there are many things to remain aware of. You do, of course, have to share the road with many other cars traveling far and wide to read their destinations, and not all of them may be as careful and alert as you are.
This can sometimes be especially true for truckers, whose jobs task them with spending long hours on the road for days at a time. Driver fatigue is a very real thing, and the statistics show it. While there are many regulations in place to keep drivers from fatiguing easily on the road, they can still spend upwards of 11 hours driving in a single day.
If you’re taking your car out on the highway, any auto accident attorney will tell you that it’s important to understand the conditions under which truckers work in order for you to stay safe. Today, the team at Tolbert Beadle, LLC discusses safe driving tips so that you can better avoid an accident with a semi-truck.

Blind Spots

Many trucks have posters on the rear of their trailers that depict the blind spot. Yet, many drivers still hang in a trucker’s blind spot anyway.
Trucks have much larger blind spots than you do in your car, and they don’t have the ability to simply turn in their seat to check them as you might. Remaining aware of this fact, and driving courteously in the vicinity of semi-trucks so they can see you at all times will generally reduce your risk for wreck or injury and your need for an auto accident attorney. A safe rule is to keep your distance from semi-trucks unless you need to pass.

Taking Turns and Curves

Curves on highways are typically long and shallow. Some flyovers, especially in dense interchange areas near cities, have tighter curves.
It’s unwise in an area like this to be on the inside of a curve next to a semi-truck. They maneuver much differently than your car, and, depending on the grade of the curve, they may need a bit more room than you. As a general rule, avoid being in this position altogether by maintaining some distance from the semi-truck, and pass on a straight portion of highway if necessary.

Passing Etiquette

Cars tend to jam up around semi-trucks in times of heavier traffic. It’s almost as if traffic has been reduced to one lane. In these cases, other drivers may unnecessarily speed up, tailing you as if to make you pass the semi-truck faster because they likely have another driver doing the same to them.
An auto accident attorney would advise that In these cases, it’s wise to continue driving in a controlled manner, and don’t let the driving of others cause you to do anything reckless. Pass the semi-truck at a comfortable speed and avoid quickly changing lanes to get in front of it. This can cause truck drivers to have to slam on their brakes, and they take much longer to slow down that your car will.

Seek the Help of an Auto Accident Attorney

If the worst happens and you find yourself in an accident with a semi-truck, it’s wise to seek the help of an auto accident attorney. An auto accident attorney will be able to help you navigate the ensuing paperwork and help you get the rewards you deserve. Make sure to let negligent drivers that you mean business, and call Tolbert Beadle, LLC.