Truck Accident Lawyer - Truck Safety
Serving Buffalo, New York
Due to the number of trucks that travel through the area, truck safety is a big concern for people who frequently visit or reside in New York. Although you can’t control the behavior of other drivers on the road, the truck accident lawyers of John Feroleto Attorneys at Law have provided some facts and safety tips below to help educate you about truck safety and to do everything in your power to avoid a collision.
The Reasons Trucks Can Be Dangerous
- The average truck weighs 80,000 lbs and can be up to 75 feet in length. When these vehicles crash, the impact is enormous.
- Regardless of experience, truck drivers have a hard time seeing other passenger vehicles on the road due to large blind spots.
- Stopping a vehicle of this size can take several more seconds than stopping a passenger vehicle. This means that their reaction time is severely reduced.
- Trucks can jackknife when their brakes lock up. This can happen at speeds as slow as five miles per hour.
- Many truck drivers work long hours in order to meet their deadlines. Due to this, sometimes drivers don’t have a sufficient amount of time to take breaks, eat or sleep.
- Trucks are very hard to control in bad weather.
- Truck drivers are supposed to abide by special laws and take many precautionary measures to avoid accidents. Many times the drivers don’t follow these laws in the New York area or beyond.
What You Can Do to Avoid an Accident
- Be aware of all the trucks and semis near you on the road at all times.
- Make sure there is always a car length for every ten miles an hour of the speed you are driving between you and a truck in front of you (e.g. six car lengths for 60 mph).
- If you think a truck or semi is following you too closely, especially on a downhill slope, change lanes and let the truck pass you.
- Make sure you never change lanes into a truck’s blind spot.
- Give trucks a significant amount of room when they are changing lanes or turning near your vehicle.
- If you see an erratic truck driver on the road, call the phone number listed on the back of the truck to report it.
- During bad weather, make sure that the amount of room between you and a truck or semi is double the amount you think is necessary.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident, contact John Feroleto Attorneys at Law today. Our experienced truck accident lawyers have helped countless clients get the compensation for injuries, lost wages and pain and suffering they deserve.
We never charge legal fees unless your case is won or settled out of court, so don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation at our Buffalo, New York office today.
1220 Liberty Building | 424 Main St. | Buffalo, NY 14202 | (716) 854-0700
