Due to their huge size and the heavy luggage they carry, truck accidents are fatal. It is especially true when the truck collides with smaller passenger cars. Even after the collision, the legal processes are tiresome and stressful. From the debilitating recovery process to probably filing for an NJ truck accident lawsuit, truck accidents surely cause a lot of harm and suffering. The good news is that in most cases, truck accidents can be avoidable. However, this is not solely the responsibility of the truck driver or the truck company. Other motorists should also be part of this quest to bring sanity back to our roads.
As such, below are some tips for drivers to help minimize the occurrence of truck accidents.
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Keep a safe distance between you and the truck.
The importance of maintaining a safe distance between you and the truck cannot be over-emphasized. It is especially the case when you are driving behind the truck. Unprecedented situations do happen on the road. If these situations occur and there is a need for the truck driver to come to a sudden halt, keeping a safe distance allows you ample time to also come to an emergency halt. Otherwise, if you are too close to the truck, you might have problems breaking, hitting it from the back.
Avoid blind spots
Trucks are huge and long. As such, they have more blind spots as opposed to your average vehicle. For instance, you should always drive more than 30 feet behind and 20 feet in front of the truck. These are all blind spots, and the truck driver might not see you. The rule of thumb states that, as a motorist, you should always see the driver on the truck. If you cannot see him, he also does not see you, further confirming that you are in his blind spot.
Exercise caution when overtaking
One thing motorists should understand is that trucks are large, and they will not be able to come to a halt or maneuver roads as fast as regular vehicles. As such, when overtaking, do it on the left side and maintain a distance away from the truck to ensure the truck driver sees you. In case a truck is overtaking you, decelerate to ensure the truck moves past you faster. Also, by doing so, you significantly minimize the amount of time you are in the truck’s blind spot.
Use signals properly
Car signals are a mode of communication between motorists and commuters. As such, exercise proper use of signals to ensure the truck driver knows your intentions. Indicate the signals a couple of minutes before to allow the truck adequate response time.
