Car Drivers Causing Truck Accidents

There are over twenty thousand accidents each year in the U.S. that involve trucks. Many of these are the fault of the truck drivers or the trucking company. Drivers impair themselves with drugs or alcohol, or they fail to get enough sleep. They may not keep their rig properly maintained, letting brakes go bad and tires wear down.

Truck drivers may drive recklessly, taking turns too fast or breaking established trucking laws on lane changing and passing on the right. Sometimes they fail to do proper checks before and during a trip, or they carry excessive or unbalanced loads. There are many ways that truck drivers can cause accidents.

However, there are also many ways that car drivers are the real cause behind a truck accident. In many cases car drivers make the initial move that sets off the reaction that leads to the truck accident. Unfairly, car drivers often are not held accountable. They drive away from the destruction they have caused. If all kinds of vehicles are going to share the same roads, then it is important for all drivers be safe and responsible.

It is an undisputed fact that cars are easier to maneuver than large commercial trucks. They can change lanes faster and also accelerate and slow down quicker. Car drivers need to take into account that trucks move differently. They need a greater distance to slow down and stop. Many accidents are caused by cars that pass trucks with insufficient headway. They pull in front of the truck then suddenly hit their brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of them. The car may be able to slow, but the truck they just passed will not have the room and plow into the car, pushing it into the one in front of it.

A similar situation is when a car merges unto a highway or into a lane in front of a truck without accelerating sufficiently. Once again the truck does not have enough room to slow down and avoid an accident.

Car drivers also cause truck accidents when they drive improperly around trucks. This can be done by driving in the trucker’s blind no-zones, the areas behind and next to trucks where the driver has limited or no visibility. Other car drivers drive close behind trucks or drive in between two trucks. This can cause multiple problems including cutting off almost all road visibility for the car driver. Surrounded by big rigs they have no idea of the traffic conditions around them.

Car drivers can get impatient, and speed around and in front of trucks. They may maneuver to the right of a truck that is making a wide right turn, or turn left in front of an oncoming truck. Some even play games, pulling in front of a truck and hitting their brakes. All of these actions can be extremely dangerous. Even if the car escapes the danger they may have forced the truck to brake or swerve suddenly, causing an accident. Just as truck drivers need to drive safe, it is also critical that car drivers are safe and responsible on the roads.

This article is not intended for legal advice.

Further Related Legal Sources: The Law Offices of Gordon & Elias, LLP. Serving accident victims in North Florida and throughout the nation.