A commercial truck presents some unique dangers to all smaller vehicles. The truck driver needs to be fully aware of all vehicles on the road and all the other drivers need to be cautious while in the presence of larger trucks. Even very small driving errors might lead to you needing a lawyer for truck accidents Indianapolis as soon as possible.
Passenger Vehicle Driver Causes
Passenger vehicle drivers (mostly cars) are often to blame in truck accidents. Usually, the cause is ignoring the capabilities of the truck, like the limits naturally associated with visibility and braking. Examples of unsafe acts often committed by passenger vehicles including:
- Unsafe driving in “no-zones” – These are the areas beside and behind commercial trucks with zero visibility for the truck driver.
- Going to the right side of the truck when it makes right turns.
- Abruptly changing lanes while in front of the truck.
- Misjudging the speed of the approaching truck while at an intersection, followed by making left turns when in front of it.
- Improperly merging into traffic, which would cause the truck to brake quickly or have to maneuver really fast.
- Not speeding up or slowing down when there is a truck that starts to merge or change lanes.
- Passing trucks and after being moved out of the position due to cross-wind or air turbulence.
- Passing in an unsafe way, which is especially dangerous when passing and there is not sufficient headway present.
- Not accelerating as much as needed when you pull into traffic in front of the truck from another road.
- Driving your vehicle between large commercial trucks.
- Abandoning the vehicle in the travel lane.
- Not completely removing the disabled vehicle from the highway.
Whenever driving near trucks, you have to be very careful and you need to respect absolutely all traffic rules.
Commercial Truck Vehicle Causes
In order to become a commercial truck driver, the individual needs to have patience and get some specific skills. However, this does not mean even the most experienced commercial truck driver cannot make mistakes. There are actually several business characteristics that will contribute to the appearance of traffic accidents. The common examples you need to know are:
- Inadequate or improper training related to safety concerns, defensive driving, and driving techniques.
- The creation and use of a compensation system that is encouraging the truck driver to drive more and at higher speed at rates that are not advisable.
- Unrealistic expectations and schedules from the trucking company. These encourage the driver to keep hurrying even if safety risks are involved.
Conclusions
The most common causes of commercial truck accidents are related to the drivers. This includes the drivers of the trucks and the drivers of the other vehicles on the road. However, there are several other parties that might end up getting involved and might share fault.
If you are involved in any commercial truck accident, the most important thing is to go to the hospital as soon as possible. Get checked out even if you do not think you are injured. Then, you most likely need the services of a truck accident attorney if the accident was not your fault.