The trucking business is still growing and dependable in many countries. This growth is despite the introduction of other shipping methods, including railway and air transport. Every year, trucks move thousands of containers and millions of tons of cargo from one point to another, making them essential for economic growth. Unfortunately, not all goes well, and we always come across accidents involving large trucks. Different accidents occur to trucks, but we will only mention some common ones in this article. Read the list.
Blind Spots Accidents
Trucks are usually large vehicles with a wide area blind spot. When you can’t see a truck driver, they do not see you either, and you must take precautions, especially when taking a wide turn. What is a wide turn? To avoid trucks tipping over, drivers usually take much of the road to the farthest end when negotiating a corner. The trucks might move to the next lanes, and if you can’t see the driver, such can cause an accident since the cabin or the trailer body might target your driving lane.
Head-On, Rear-End Collisions
Large trucks, even when emergency brakes are applied, do not stop immediately. The reason is that they are heavy, and with their vast body, it’s not possible to come to an immediate halt. This situation has led trucks to collide with other vehicles head-on or hitting other vehicles at the back, causing fatal accidents. It’s always advisable to keep the distance of trucks ahead and behind you and change lanes if you feel they are following you too closely. Such accidents happen on slippery road surfaces when trucks are overloaded or driven on faulty brakes or inattentive drivers.
Underride Accidents
These are the worst accidents that can ever happen to a large truck. This accident occurs when a large truck stops suddenly, making a smaller car get beneath the trailer or when an approaching vehicle gets crushed beneath the trailer cabin, destroying the vehicle and injuring its occupants. The smaller vehicle always gets ripped off in the worst circumstances. Drivers always get urged to keep a distance from large trucks, while trucks get recommended having guard rails to avoid such accidents.
Jackknife Accidents
Jackknife accidents are among the leading large truck accidents, especially on slippery roads and sharp corners. Jackknife accidents happen when the driver driving the truck applies sudden brakes, making the trailer swing at a right angle. It mostly happens on slippery road surfaces, uneven terrains, sharp corners, empty trucks, or inexperienced drivers driving the trucks. In most cases, most trucks that jackknife always turn over or roll, spilling off the contents or falling to other traffic, which causes injuries and even death. It is essential to drive not close to trucks and always avoid them during heavy traffic and slippery road surfaces. Companies need to hire experienced drivers to control these vast automobiles.
Other truck accidents that occur mostly are tire bursts, which make the vehicle roll, roll-over accidents, and much more. In any case, your life and safety come first. Try as much to avoid blind spots and racing with trucks on the highway. On the other hand, truck drivers must be attentive to avoid causing accidents. Always get a lawyer when an accident happens to follow up on compensation.
