How to Avoid Truck Accidents

It goes without saying, every driver at one point or another will (or already has) experienced a time of sitting in traffic on the expressway as a result of an accident involving a tractor trailer. Those times are scary for both truck drivers and drivers of passenger vehicles alike. The accidents remind us that we need to be careful and pay attention while we are driving. For a short time we do, however, after a while, we forget.

Trucks are involved in nearly 300,000 accidents every year, resulting in more than 3,000 unnecessary deaths. With over 11 million trucks on the road, drivers need to begin to take responsibility to help lower these numbers.

Accident Victims

The majority of deaths from truck accidents were individuals riding in the passenger vehicle that was involved in the accident. But, that still leaves around 700 truck driver fatalities annually. As a truck driver, it should go without saying, you don’t want to be on either side of the coin. The tips in this infographic (listed below) can help you avoid being involved in an accident altogether.

Maintain Your Rig

Mechanical failure is one of the most common causes of truck accidents. Truck drivers have an important responsibility to maintain their vehicles. Keeping up with the regular maintenance that a tractor-trailer needs is the best way to avoid causing an accident due to mechanic issues. As a truck driver, completing regular checks of the three areas mentioned in the image, will help you to keep your rig in good running condition to keep yourself and others safe.

Don’t Drive Distracted

As shown in the infographic, distracted driving accounts for many accidents. What exactly does this mean? Drivers could be fatigued, texting, or not paying attention to the road conditions. There are many other ways they could be distracted. Many times when a driver is not paying attention, they notice a situation too late and cause an accident by overcompensating in an attempt to correct the mistake.

Driving Safety Tips

Operating a truck is not the same as a car, therefore there are different standards that need to be followed to keep everyone on the road safe. Truck drivers should be limiting the amount of times that they change lanes due to the large blind spots on the side of the truck. As a driver, you should also be signaling early to clearly communicate your intentions to other drivers. The driving safety tips shown on the infographic are good reminders that every truck driver can follow.

Once they become comfortable driving, every driver has to fight becoming too lax while operating their vehicle, whether it’s a passenger vehicle or a truck. Keeping the image and information provided in your mind will help you to remember safe driving practices and why they are so crucial to follow. Drive safely and do not become one of the statistics.

For more useful tips, here is a visual guide from Tenge Law on how to avoid road accidents for truck drivers.