Preventing Truck Accidents: Safety Tips for South Carolina Drivers
Nihar Patel | The Carolina Law Group
Since large trucks are so much bigger and heavier than regular passenger cars and motorcycles, accidents involving large trucks are disproportionately more damaging than accidents involving just passenger cars. Nearly 3,000 people died in traffic accidents involving tractor-trailers and other large trucks in 2020, and many thousands more were injured.
We help many people who are injured in a big truck accident here in South Carolina get the compensation they need to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other economic and noneconomic damages. It’s gratifying to help people at a very difficult time in their life and to see justice done. But in an ideal world, there would be no such accidents at all.
You can’t control what other drivers do on the road. However, you can practice safe driving habits when sharing the road with big rigs and other large trucks to reduce the likelihood of being involved in a truck accident.
Driving Safety Tips to Avoid Truck Accidents
Remember and respect the truck’s blind spots, aka “No-Zones.” Blind spots on trucks are much bigger than blind spots on a regular car. Avoid riding in the truck’s blind spots, such as directly behind, directly in front, or alongside the truck out of view of the driver. Remember this: if you can’t see the truck driver’s side mirrors, the truck driver can’t see you.
Stay back at a safe distance. Tailgating any vehicle is unsafe, but it’s especially unsafe behind a tractor-trailer or other large truck, in part because there’s a large blind spot directly behind the truck. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recommends driving with a one-second lag for every 10 feet of vehicle length at speeds under 40 mph, or approximately 1.5-2 seconds for the average car or SUV, plus an extra second for speeds over 40 mph.
Allow plenty of space for turns. Because of their large size, big rigs need much more room to make a turn. If you’re on a motorcycle or bike, leave space and allow the truck to complete the turn in a safe manner. Trying to “sneak in” to the turn to save time is dangerous and can lead to an accident.
Give large trucks the right of way to pass. When possible, change lanes to allow trucks to pass you, especially at high speeds on the highway. Since trucks must adhere to strict speed limits and have a harder time changing lanes, it’s often safer to give them the right of way.
Avoid sudden braking in front of a large truck. Tractor-trailers take longer to slow down and stop compared to smaller vehicles, so braking and stopping suddenly in front of one is very dangerous. Try to keep a large distance between the rear of your vehicle and the cab of the truck. If the truck driver keeps getting too close, allow the truck to pass and drive behind at a safe distance.
Signal your intentions. You should always use your indicators to let other drivers know your intention to change lanes. Make sure to signal when sharing the road with a large truck so the driver knows what to expect and can react accordingly.
Report unsafe driving. If you believe a truck driver is driving erratically and is a danger on the road, call the police to report it. You could save a life – possibly your own.
Call the Truck Accident Attorneys at The Carolina Law Group
If you were injured in a traffic accident with a tractor-trailer or other large truck, contact the truck accident attorneys at The Carolina Law Group. Truck-car accident cases are different from car-car accident cases, and we have the experience and know-how to fight for your rights and help get you the compensation you need to heal after your accident. Call us at one of the numbers below to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation to talk about your case.
The Carolina Law Group has four offices in South Carolina for your convenience: Greenville (principal office; call 864.312.4444), Greer (principal office; call 864.757.5555), Spartanburg (principal office; call 864.312.4444) & West Columbia (principal office; call 803.881.1110).
Call us at one of our four offices or contact us online to schedule your free consultation with one of our attorneys. Our business hours are Monday – Thursday 8:30am – 5:30pm & Friday 8:30 am – 5 pm. Weekend and evening hours by appointment only. Our Greenville, SC law firm offers Spanish, Hindi, and Gujarati language translation services for your convenience.