There is no doubt that the bigger they are, they more damage they cause when involved in a crash.
It doesn’t seem to make any difference how wide the highways are these days to allow for more traffic and larger vehicles. The problems are still the same old ones that existed when the highways were only four lanes instead of six or eight. Smaller cars and other vehicles are at a supreme disadvantage when it comes to sharing the roads with big rigs.
The larger trucks can weigh as much as 80 thousand pounds (40 tons) fully loaded and depending on what they are carrying. That is a lot of truck and it definitely does not stop on a dime. The facts are that it takes the entire length of a football field for a large truck to come to a full stop.
There are actually a wide variety of large trucks on the roads these days including 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, tanker trucks, garbage trucks, dump trucks and tow trucks, and armored security vehicles. Put one of these behemoths beside a car and the car is dwarfed. If an accident does happen, not only is the driver of the truck considered to be liable, but so is the owner of the truck if they happen to be different.
Car drivers have to realize that piloting a large truck is a whole different proposition than driving a car. Thanks to its oversize proportions, truck drivers automatically have a greater responsibility to drive safely and be alert and aware of what is going on around them at all times. Did you know that regulations require truckers to have a Class A license and be prepared to submit to random drug and alcohol tests plus background checks? Contrary to popular belief, trucking companies really don’t just stick anyone behind the wheel of a huge truck and turn them loose on American highways.
Unfortunately, truck crashes are often fatal and if the statistics are any indication, the numbers of deaths due to large truck crashes are growing every year. In 2008 alone, fatal crashes on the highways that involved a big rig totaled over 34,000. The wide range of causes for the deaths included speeding to meet deadlines, inattention, fatigue, mechanical problems, prescription drugs, and poor weather and road conditions.
Just because trucking is a vital industry and the country depends on the prompt delivery of various items on time does not excuse a speeding truck driver, trying to meet an unrealistic deadline, who gets involved in a multiple vehicle crash. Big rig drivers need to take the responsibility to be safe on the road and watch out for other drivers.
When the consequences of a truck accident results in severe injuries or death, a skilled truck accident lawyer helps victims fight for their rights to just compensation. Choose the proper legal counsel to help seek justice.
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