Many semitruck accidents are the result of the actions of the semitruck driver, but this isn’t always the case. There are some instances in which another driver might be the cause of the accident, even if that driver wasn’t involved in the crash. In this case, the other driver might be liable for the crash.
Truckers are responsible for maneuvering more than 50 feet of trailer along with their truck. When you take a moment to think about that, you can see how it might be difficult to stop on a dime or make last-minute adjustments to the course of the tractor-trailer.
One thing that some people might not realize is that many semitrucks have governors on their trucks. This means that even if they wanted to drive faster than a specific speed, they couldn’t. With this in mind, you can probably understand why trying to tailgate a big rig might not be the best idea.
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SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY TODAYSpeaking of tailgating the semitruck, you also have to think about the blind spots the trucker has to deal with. Semitrucks have a large blind spot on each side of the trailer, behind the trailer and in front of the truck. Cars that try to slip into these spaces are at risk of being involved in an accident with the truck.
Motorists who try to dart in front of a semitruck might cause issues. Semitrucks not only have the large blind spot in front of the truck, but darting in front of them might lead to the trucker not being able to stop in time to avoid rear-ending that vehicle. Semitrucks take around twice the distance of a small vehicle to stop if the brakes are cool — and even longer if the brakes are hot.
Source: P & S Transportation, “Driving Safely Around Semi’s,” accessed April 13, 2017
