Truckers talk accident dangers

A news station in Oklahoma recently interviewed truckers about the most dangerous things drivers do around semis that creates a serious risk of a truck accident. They cited things that we speak about a lot in this blog, such as speeding and distracted driving.

Another issue the truck drivers raised was passenger cars changing lanes without signaling. This is unsafe in any traffic context, but it’s especially dangerous when passing a tractor-trailer. It takes much longer for a trucker to slow down than people in much lighter pickups and cars, so they need plenty of notice that someone is about to move in front of them.

Another driver had a scary story about a motorist who who playing games with him. The driver pulled in front of his truck and slammed on the brakes before taking off. The truck driver said he would have rear-ended the other man if he had not been so careful.

Of course, semi truck drivers are not the innocent victim in every case. Many truckers drive while distracted by their phones, and driver fatigue is a major issue in the trucking industry. Overall, in 2013 an average of 10 people in the U.S. died and 260 were injured in truck accidents. Many of those crashes were caused by a truck driver not acting as responsibly as possible, so that the driver and/or the truck driver’s employer may have been held financially liable.

The bottom line is that drivers, whether driving semi trucks or passenger cars, need to pay attention to the road at all times so as to be the safest drivers possible and avoid situations that could result in collisions and injuries to others.