If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident with a commercial truck, you could be at risk of sustaining greater injury than if you were in a crash with a car or smaller truck. Trucks have blind spots that can make driving in their vicinity dangerous, but there are defensive driving techniques that people in North Carolina can use to help protect themselves.
Front and back
The size of semitrucks does not just mean that they can cause more damage in a motor vehicle accident. It also means that it is impossible for a truck driver to see vehicles that are in certain positions relative to the truck. For example, a truck driver’s cab is so high that a driver cannot see a car that is directly in front of him or her. In fact, there should be a space that is the length of 20 cars. Trucks also cannot see what is behind them, and drivers should avoid tailgating in case the truck has to stop suddenly.
Left and right of truck
Just behind the truck’s cab on both the right and the left are two other blind spots. The right one is about twice the size of the one on the left. However, in both cases, you should avoid driving in either blind spot on a multilane road. You will inevitably enter one of these blind spots if you are passing a truck, but you should try to get back out of it as quickly as possible. You should also make sure you have time to leave plenty of space in front of the truck before reentering the lane. In addition, you should keep in mind that a semitruck needs more room than smaller vehicles to turn.
If you are injured in a truck accident, and the truck driver is at fault, the driver and the company may have to compensate you. This may include the cost of any medical treatment as well as other expenses, such as lost wages while you recover.