Peeping over the steering wheel of your minuscule-in-comparison vehicle, you edge your way around 18-wheeled trucks on the highway like there is nothing to it. However, have you ever stopped to think about just how dangerous it is to share the road with such massive machines? In all actuality, when it comes to what could happen if you were to be involved in an accident with a big truck, you may just as well be driving a toy car.
Taking a Closer Look at the Facts
1. Between 2011 and 2012, there were at least 77,000 injury-causing accidents involving a big truck, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Commission. When you think about the fact that there are so many accidents annually, it is easy to see that as a driver, it is always best to be alert when you travel around semis, buses, or large vehicles because you never know when an accident could occur, and unfortunately if you are involved, you are most definitely at a disadvantage in your own car or truck because of the sheer difference in size.
2. Big truck accidents account for as many as 5,000 fatalities every single year in the United States. Even more alarming, between 75 and 80 percent of the fatally injured in these crashes were the drivers of regular-sized vehicles, and only about 16 percent were drivers of the larger vehicles.
What Can You Do As a Driver?
You may have no choice but to share the road with semis, big trucks, and larger vehicles, but you can take some time to understand what to do in order to stay as safe as possible. A few things that should always come to mind when you end up in the same driving parameters include:
The bottom line is this: Sharing the highways and roads you dive daily with big trucks may be something you cannot control, but you can control your own knowledge to stay safer. If you have been involved in a crash that was associated with a semi truck, make sure you get advice from a truck accident lawyer.
How much do you think someone should pay if they pummel your car and accidentally kill your entire family? What if they were drunk? What if you had to miss three months of work? Although you might understand that a wreck like that could level you financially, your insurance company might see things another way. Instead of paying you what is rightfully yours, they might try to pay for your car to be repaired and take care of half salary for a few weeks. However, working with a lawyer can ensure that you get what you deserve in court. This blog is all about how personal injury lawyers can help. Check it out.