Florida Truck Accidents – How to Prevent It

The damages that a truck accident causes are usually life-altering, if not life-ending. According to statistics, truck accidents can lead to disproportionate number of serious injuries and fatalities because of the sheer size of the trucks. Florida ranks fifth in the United States with the highest number of deaths involving large trucks. Nearly 400 fatalities were documented in the state in recent statistics.

While you cannot know ahead of time the mistakes truckers will make as you drive, there are some useful tips to follow that may help you avoid accidents involving trucks on Florida roads and highways.

Truck driver error is the main reason of truck accidents in Florida. However, in some cases the initial error is in fact committed by the driver of the smaller vehicle.

Two of the most frequent examples are when another vehicle cuts in suddenly in front of a truck or when another vehicle enters the truck’s blind spot.

As a driver of smaller vehicle, you need to know that there are limitations of trucks and you should adjust your own driving accordingly.

Drivers need to make sure they provide enough distance when entering the lane of a truck, especially on a highway when the truck may be traveling at speeds of 60 – 70 mph. If a driver enters the lane in front of a tractor trailer during rush hour, then must engage the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of him or her, the truck behind may be left with little room to stop in time due to the speed and weight of the truck.

Large trucks traveling at typical highway speeds require more room to slow down compared to much smaller automobiles. Therefore, it is prudent to make sure enough distance remains between your car’s rear and the truck so that the truck may stop if you should quickly apply your brakes. When passing a tractor trailer, it is important to see the entire front of the truck in your rearview mirror before entering the lane of a truck. It is prudent to give as much space as possible.

Large trucks also have large blind spots. The general rule is that if you cannot see the driver’s head in the truck’s side view mirror, then he likely cannot see you. To avoid these large blind spots to the sides of trucks, keep your driving time to the sides of trucks to an absolute minimum and make sure to check to see that the truck’s turn signals are not on when deciding to pass the truck. Of course, do not attempt to pass if you notice the truck weaving in and out of a lane, this may be a sign that the truck driver is not alert.

If you need to pass a tractor-trailer, always pass on the left. Research shows that more serious crashes occur on the right side of trucks because of the blind spots.

Following these, among other, may just save your life.

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Timothy C. Nies leads a firm's personal injury, maritime injury, civil litigation, and commercial litigation practice groups. He has spent the past 10 years, first defending well-funded insurance companies and large corporations in complex personal injury cases. If you you are looking for a Stuart personal injury lawyer, a reputable Stuart personal injury attorney at Van Riper & Nies Attorneys, P.A. is ready to serve you today!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is general information provided to you "as is", it does not constitute legal advice and the author is not acting as your attorney. No claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or adequacy of the information contained in, or linked to this article or website, and its associated sites.