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This morning once again a needless trucking accident has left multiple innocent victims injured when they were passengers in a van on I-95. The truck collided with the rear of the passenger van. The driver, along with the 7 mentally handicapped passengers in the van, were rescued from the vehicle and transported to area hospitals.

Over 500,000 trucking accidents occur every year in the U.S., and the weight of the truck gives victims involved slim chances of evading catastrophic injury or death. Often as a result of the combined factors of excessive speed and weight these accidents often result in fatalities. To stay safe on the road and minimize the chance of being in an accident with a truck follow a few basic rules when you’re driving near large trucks, especially at high speeds on interstate highways.

  • Stay out of blind spots. Large trucks have blind spots. If you can’t see the driver in the side mirror, the driver can’t see you either.
  • Don’t tailgate: Stay at least 20 car lengths behind a large truck. Allow enough distance for you to see in front of the truck, so you can stop suddenly or swerve out of danger if traffic conditions ahead warrant it.
  • Pass with caution: After passing a big truck, don’t pull back into its lane of traffic until you can see its headlights in your rear-view mirror. Be sure to give the truck driver the room they need to be able to slow down or stop if necessary.
  • Maintain a safe distance, trucks need much more room to stop than you do. Maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and a truck traveling behind you.

One Comment

  1. Gravatar for Jon Lewis
    Jon Lewis

    Great tips Miriam! Most people know they are scared of these big rigs, yet they still don't drive safely around them. Defensive driving is the key, but you have to have enough knowledge to know what that means. This post helps.

    Jon

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