Tips for Staying Safe When Sharing the Road with Tractor

The fall holiday season is approaching, which means many of us will be making road trips to see family. As personal injury attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks who have represented people injured in accidents with semi-trucks, we are all too aware of the dangers of highway travel. Because of their sheer size and lack of maneuverability, a collision with a tractor-trailer can be extremely devastating. So, we wanted to share 5 simple things you can do to stay safer while traveling the highways with tractor-trailers. 1) Keep Your Distance Semi-trucks are huge vehicles and they need more room to maneuver. They also have bigger blind spots. While it may be tempting to get as close behind a semi-truck in hopes of being able to get around it more easily, doing so is very dangerous. It can actually make it harder to see around the truck, and it makes it more likely to collide or make contact with the truck. Simply giving a tractor-trailer plenty of distance can create a safety buffer. 2) Avoid Blind Spots Due to their immense size, tractor-trailers have bigger blinds spots. If you cannot see their side mirrors, they can’t see you either. Being aware of who is around them is step one for a safe semi-driver. By staying out of their blind spots, you can help them help you! 3) Be Aware As always, paying attention to your surroundings and anticipating the drivers around you can help you avoid an accident. The more you make it a habit to look around and be observant, the better chance you have to see something coming and react in time to avoid it. This includes avoiding distractions. All it takes is a fraction of a second to travel out of your lane when you are not looking. Doing so around a semi can be deadly. The texts and the phone calls can wait, the safety of you and your passengers is worth it. 4) Allow for Stopping Distance It is much more difficult for a semi-truck to stop or slow down than it is for you in your car, truck, or SUV. It is important to remember that when pulling in front of a semi. If you are passing a tractor-trailer on a 4 lane highway, it is better to allow for plenty of room before pulling back into the slow lane in front of the semi. That way if you stop suddenly, the semi has time to react and slow down before hitting you. It can be impossible to stop soon enough if the truck driver does not have enough notice. Unfortunately, that is a common cause of auto accidents involving tractor-trailers at the Lake of the Ozarks. 5) Wear Your Seatbelt Having your seatbelt on can make all the difference in the world regarding how you fare in an auto accident with a tractor-trailer. It is vital that EVERYONE in the vehicle is buckled up and protected should an accident occur. At Deputy and Mizell, we have helped so many people who have been injured in tractor-trailer accidents at the Lake of the Ozarks. It is our desire that no one is ever involved in an accident, and we hope these tips give you some ideas on how to stay safe on the highway. But if you are unfortunately injured in a collision with a semi-truck, just know we are here to help. Our team of personal injury attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks has the experience to guide you through your options and help get you the compensation you need and deserve. Don’t delay, schedule a free consultation right away.