Preventing Truck Accidents and Injuries

Truck accidents are more complex to pursue than traffic accidents involving cars, motorcycles, pedestrians, or bicycles when it comes to personal injury cases. The sheer size of a truck and the force of impact that can result from a collision means that injuries caused by a truck accident in Chicago, Illinois tend to be very serious.

The following are a number of precautions that the drivers of both heavy commercial trucks and passenger cars should adhere to if they wish to prevent truck collision accidents and injuries.

For passenger cars around commercial trucks

Many of the common crashes between heavy commercial trucks and commuter cars may be avoided by following these safety tips:

• Stay extra alert in the vicinity of a large truck. They can behave very differently from cars.
• Avoid the blind spots around trucks. If you are unable to see a truck's side mirrors, the truck driver cannot see you.
• Don’t pass a truck on the right if the truck is turning right. It takes a wide swing to the left for a truck to negotiate right turns safely.
• Never cut in front of any large vehicle. They are very heavy and require much more distance to come to a stop in comparison to cars.
• Always use the proper procedure to pass any large truck or bus on the highway. Maintain a consistent speed while passing after accelerating slightly. Always wait until you can see the entire cab in your rear-view mirror before signaling and pulling in front of it.
• Check for a truck's turn signals before attempting to pass it. If the truck looks to be starting a left turn, make sure to observe which way the driver is signaling before passing the truck on the right.

Truckers

These safety practices can save your and other lives while working out on the road:

• Take care of yourself. Getting plenty of rest before driving is crucial. Fatigue and lack of attention will increase your risk of an accident greatly. Violations of service hours are serious and can threaten your livelihood or even your life.
• Slow down in work zones. Keep an eye out for highway construction. Approximately one-third of work zone fatal crashes involved large trucks.
• Keep your distance at all times. Leaving enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you can prevent accidents and injuries. In the eyes of the law, in rear-end collisions, if you hit someone from behind you are considered "at fault" regardless of the situation.
• Keep your vehicle in good shape. Perform an inspection of your vehicle before you head out, and check the brakes regularly. Brake defects are the most frequently cited out-of-service inspection violation.
• Practice defensive driving. This means you should avoid other aggressive drivers and always maintain a safe speed. Excessive speed can increase your chance for an accident.
• Keep your safety belt fastened. A seat belt can save your life and that of others if you are in a crash. It will keep you in your seat and allow you to maintain control of your truck.