Posted in: | Jul 10,2019
Preliminary statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that truck accident- related fatalities actually increased in 2018 over the previous year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released forecast data for 2018, and predicts that when the final numbers arrive, they will prove devastating for the trucking industry. The agency is predicting a 3% increase in the number of truck accident deaths recorded in 2018. This is even as the agency is forecasting an overall 1% decrease in the number of traffic accident deaths recorded last year.
Even though the overall number of traffic accident deaths dropped last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration predicts that 2018 will go down as the third deadliest year on American roads in a decade. A robust economy has meant more trucking and freight activity on American roads. That has naturally meant more trucks coming into contact with motor vehicles on our highways. When a large tractor trailer or 18-wheeler crashes into a motor vehicle, the consequences are always more severe for the smaller vehicle in the accident.
Always drive safely around a tractor trailer. Avoid driving in the truck driver’s blind spots. To identify the driver’s blind spots, check if you can see the driver’s face in his truck’s rear view mirror. If you can, then he can see you too. If not, you are in his blind spot, a very dangerous place to be because the driver cannot see you, and is therefore unable to take steps to avoid your vehicle and prevent an accident.
Avoid tailgating a truck. Keep sufficient distance between your car and the truck in front of you. If you are driving too close to the truck, you are at risk of serious head injuries or even decapitation, if the truck suddenly comes to a stop and you end up rear-ending the truck. Avoid cutting in front of a truck or lingering around the sides of the truck.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident, talk to an Indianapolis truck accident attorney at Montross Miller and discuss whether you have legal rights to a claim for damages.
