After an irritating 45 minutes stuck in rush hour Beltway traffic, you finally see the one mile marker for exit 31. One more mile and then (hopefully) a quick five mile shot down Georgia Avenue and you’ll finally be home. 

You’ve been stuck behind a somewhat shaky semi-truck for the past five miles, so you’re thankful that you can get away from him by merging into the right line. However, just as you get over, the semi decides to merge as well—right in front of you. You still have about a half mile before your exit, so instead of dragging it out behind the truck, you decide to pass him.

You get back into the left lane, but as soon as you become parallel to its back tires, you hear a loud explosion. Suddenly the entire truck begins to swerve.

You start to panic. What should you do?

Blowout Precautions

Being next to a truck during normal circumstances can be nerve racking, but when a sudden tire blowout occurs, that stress can turn into full-blown panic. If debris and cargo are flung toward you, or the truck begins to lose control, your panic may not be unjustified as your life could be in serious danger. However, there are some simple safety tips that can help you avoid potential blowout collisions.

  • Give trucks plenty of room.
  • When passing trucks, don’t linger.
  • If you witness a tire blowout, try to safely maneuver away from the truck as quickly as possible.
  • If the truck loses control, pull over, or off to the side to help avoid a collision.
  • Never follow a truck too closely.

Although semi-trucks should receive regular maintenance and tire checks to prevent blowouts, they still occur far too often. Being prepared for the unexpected could help save you and your family from a serious accident. Trucks outweigh you by thousands of pounds, and debris could cause a catastrophic multi-car pile-up; don’t take any chances—remember, your safety is more important than getting ahead of a semi-truck.

Don’t be a statistic! Pay attention, follow truck safety guidelines and share this page with your loved ones to help promote safety awareness to decrease truck accident injuries and fatalities.

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