3 Tips to Avoid Accidents with Semis

According to the United States Department of Transportation, almost 2,000 people are killed each year by a collision between a big rig and a passenger vehicle. Over 73 percent of those collisions involved a tractor-trailer combination while 21 percent involved large trucks that are a single unit. Statistics are not available in 6 percent of the cases. In all but three percent of the cases, the deaths happened in the passenger vehicle with the truck driver often walking away unharmed. Countless others in passenger vehicles are injured each year. There are some steps that you can take to increasing your chances of not being involved in a car-truck accident.

Choose the Hours You Travel

About 34 percent of the fatal accidents occurred between 9 AM and 3 PM. Another 15 percent of the crashes occurred between 6 AM and 9 AM. Therefore, try to plan your trips so that you travel later in the day with the time between 9 PM and midnight being the safest.

Select Your Route Carefully

Over 60 percent of fatalities occurred on major roads that were not interstates or freeways. These roads often are marked as state highways. About 32 percent of accidents occurred on interstates and freeways while only seven percent occurred on minor roads. While it may not always be possible, try to plan your route to avoid roads that semis travel on frequently.

Be Conscious of Those Around You

Remember that a semi-truck driver cannot see you if you are following too closely. In fact, you will want to be able to see both of his mirrors plainly to make sure that he can see your vehicle. While it can be frustrating to try to see around a semi, you should try to anticipate when the driver may need to stop. It can take a semi up to 40 times longer to stop than a passenger vehicle. Most truck drivers are extremely courteous, but try to avoid letting one get within 20 feet of you from the rear because they often cannot see you there either.

If you are an unfortunate victim of a car-truck crash, you may want to contact a personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas as soon as possible. The time that you waste can put your case in jeopardy because they need to be able to collect vital information while it is fresh in everybody’s mind.