Sacramento Truck Accident
Government transportation safety experts have been working with the trucking industry for several years in attempts to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving the big rig trucks. While the efforts are paying off with the reduction of the number of truck accidents, injuries and deaths resulting from accident between trucks and smaller vehicles are still high by percentage. It may be time for driver safety education to be expanded from the truck drivers to the operators of motor vehicles.
Not all car drivers understand the inherent dangers that driving a truck present. Trucks that weigh around 80,000 pounds are much harder to maneuver and take a lot longer to stop than cars that weigh between two and four thousand pounds. They also cannot accelerate as fast, especially going uphill. For cars that are passing trucks, there is the ever present danger of a cross wind that can blow a car off the left side of the road; in cases like this, overcorrecting may push the car into the side of the truck causing a truck accident.
The trucking industry has instituted placing caution signs on trucks in strategic places to reduce the Sacramento truck accident numbers. Typically, on the right side, signs show that the truck makes wider right turns and vehicles to the truck's right are at risk of being crushed. However, this has not stopped cars from trying to pass trucks on the right, even when their turn signal is flashing a warning that they are going to turn in that direction. Cars also have a habit of following too close, putting them in one the blind spots that are common around the truck. Signs that remind drivers that if they cannot see the driver of the truck, then the truck driver cannot see their vehicle, have apparently had no effect on car operators.
Pulling out in front of a truck and failing to accelerate quickly is one of the major causes of rear end collisions, as many drivers have trouble judging the speed of an approaching tractor-trailer. When drivers on the side of the freeway re-enter the right lane from the shoulder without accounting for the speed of an approaching truck, they put themselves as well as the truck driver in harm's way. The truck driver may slam on the brakes, hoping to miss the vehicle, only to have the truck jack knife across the road and become a danger to other drivers.
Worse, they may swerve to miss the vehicle moving into their path and hit another vehicle. On smaller roads, cars may also misjudge the speed of the truck and attempt to pass in places without having enough open road to get around the truck and move back into the right lane. They usually fail to allow for space for oncoming traffic, and cut in too close in front of the truck, causing them to hit their brakes, again causing a potential jackknife accident.
Those involved in a Sacramento truck accident should contact their attorney to help determine the fault of the accident and calculate how much of the damage is the result of the truck driver's mistakes and how much can be attributed to the driver of the car. A knowledgeable attorney can help you with losses or damages resulting from the accident, and assist you in receiving deserved compensation.
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