Common Truck Passing Risks That Could Affect Your Family

You absolutely hate driving on the highway. Not only are there too many cars, but there are way too many trucks. Every time you get on the Beltway, you swear you’re surrounded by at least six or seven semi-trucks, all traveling about 20 miles per hour. Naturally, you go to pass them, but as you approach each one—your hands become sweaty, your heart rate increases, and you become irrationally scared.

Are you just being paranoid, or are the risks of passing a truck as frightening as your subconscious believes them to be?

Fatal Risks of Passing Trucks

Every year, nearly 100,000 people are injured or killed in truck accident collisions. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, 46 percent of these accidents result when both the truck and other vehicle were proceeding in the same direction.

Passing in any situation can be treacherous, but passing a truck can quickly become fatal as a result of these common risk factors:

• Being caught in a blind spot. Semi-trucks have extremely large “no zones” or blind spots due to their length and size. Remember, if you can’t see the driver in his side view mirror, than he can’t see you.
• Being blown out of position by air turbulence or cross winds. On windy days, semi-trailers can block a lot of air force while you’re passing it. However, once you get ahead of the trailer—the air turbulence that was blocked could potentially overtake your lighter car and blow you across the road.
• Causing a rollover accident or side collision. If you’re in a truck’s blind spot when it attempts to move over, it could not only cause you to swerve to avoid hitting him, but once he sees you, it could cause him to overcorrect, hit another vehicle to his right, or lose control completely and topple over.
• Being crushed under a rollover accident. If a truck loses control when swerving to avoid a car, his trailer could wind up off kilter and collapse on top of you. Most semi-trailers can weigh up to 8,000 pounds—so if it falls on your vehicle, the injuries will most likely be fatal.

Protecting Yourself When Passing Goes Sideways

As you can imagine truck accidents can cause significant injuries to those involved. However, with proper legal representation, you can get the proper treatment and care you and your family deserve. If you’ve recently been involved in a tragic truck accident and need help filing you injury claim, contact us now. We’ll provide you with a free consultation to discuss your rights and settlement options. Don’t allow a traffic collision to ruin your financial and physical future. You deserve much more than that, and may be able to help you get it.

Do you want to protect your friends and family from a tragic truck accident? You can use your social media connections to keep your loved ones safe and our roads clear, by simply sharing this page on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus. The more people know, the safer passing trucks should become. Be a part of this changing statistic by clicking the media icons on this page.