The first thing that comes to most people’s mind when they think of a truck accident is a reckless truck driver. In reality, the recklessness of passenger vehicle drivers can also put truck drivers at risk. If you’re a diligent commercial driver who regularly coexists with passenger vehicles on the roadways, it can help to know driver behaviors that may put you at risk.
As a truck driver, you already contend with a unique set of challenges due to the significant weight and size of the vehicle you operate. The last thing you need is driver behavior making your job more challenging than it already is.
Underestimating stopping distance and blind spots
Many passenger vehicles do not realize that 18-wheelers require a longer distance to come to a halt due to the high momentum they generate. When a passenger vehicle driver underestimates your truck’s stopping distance, they can put you at risk of an accident.
Most passenger vehicle drivers also seem to forget that 18-wheelers have large blind spots where the truck driver’s visibility is limited. For this reason, when they lurk within these no-zones, you may unintentionally merge into them when you’re changing lanes.
Erratic lane changes and cutting off trucks
Few things are more dangerous than passenger vehicles erratically changing lanes while driving next to a commercial truck. This is because 18-wheeler trucks require more space to maneuver traffic and sporadic driving habits can easily result in a collision. Another shocking driver behavior is cutting off trucks under the guise of saving time. Since a commercial truck cannot swerve as quickly as a passenger vehicle, this behavior increases the risk of truck accidents.
Are you a diligent truck driver who got involved in an accident due to a passenger vehicle driver’s recklessness? If so, you can benefit from personalized legal feedback as you figure out a suitable solution for your unique situation.