Recently there have been a few stories in the news regarding accidents involving trucks. One fatal accident involved a victim who was pinched between two delivery trucks. Another involved a jackknifed tractor trailer that hit a car, but luckily there were no injuries to report, only traffic on the I-35 during rush hour.

Always be aware of your surroundings while you are driving. If you are approaching a truck on a highway or side street, be sure to stay out of the blind spots, which include the areas to the left and right of the cab, the right front, and directly behind the truck. Be sure to leave several car lengths between your own automobile and the truck.

Unfortunately accidents may still happen even if a driver follows these regulations consistently. Faulty equipment, low air pressure, road conditions, or impaired drivers may lead to a dangerous situation.

The trucking industry is bound by Federal regulations. These regulations aim to reduce injuries and fatalities caused by commercial truck accidents. Meanwhile, commercial truck drivers have one drawback which is that the commercial trucking laws vary from one state to another.

Truck Accident Statistics

According to the statistics compiled by Truckaccident.org, truck collisions every year resulted in 130,000 injured individuals. Injuries caused by truck accidents accounted for 22%, while about 70% of accidents resulted in property damage claims only. Commercial truck accidents can be a nightmare to truck drivers, especially when the truck driver violates the federal regulations. When a truck driver violates federal regulations, it can mean serious fines and penalties for the truck driver and the truck driver’s employer company.

How Motorists Can Avoid an Austin 18-wheeler Accident

According to the study, nearly 80 percent of big rig collisions involve semi trucks pulling at least one tractor trailer and just shy of 75 percent involved a collision between a semi truck and another, smaller vehicle. In Austin, around 16,000 car crashes happen every year, and statistics indicate that around 600 people sustain moderate to serious injuries.

Many motorists become involved in a Texas truck accident because they overestimate the abilities of the truck driver to see them, to maneuver quickly, and to slow down. Motorists can protect themselves from becoming a victim in a serious injury or fatality crash with a semi truck by following a few simple safety tips.

• Make an effort to make yourself visible to the driver — if you can’t see the driver in the mirrors on the sides of the truck, it is likely that the driver cannot see you.
• If you see an 18-wheeler approaching an intersection with its right blinker on, do not pass it on the right.
• Never cut off a big rig.
• Provide four seconds of distance in dry conditions and a minimum of six seconds in wet conditions between your vehicle and the semi truck in front of you.

How to Avoid a Tow Truck Accident

All motorists can avoid being involved in a Texas tow truck accident by following a few simple tips for safety. These collisions account for less than one percent of the total number of Texas car crashes that happen each year. Approximately 14.3 percent of these collisions are reported as injury accidents and the remainder results in severe property damage. Reports indicate that luckily, few, if any, tow truck accidents result in fatalities every year.

• Leave a minimum of 10 to15 feet between your vehicle and a stopped tow truck so the driver does not have to negotiate small spaces.
• If you are driving past a tow truck during loading, move into another lane or slow down.
• If your vehicle is the one being towed, you should stand a minimum of 10 to 15 feet away from the tow truck to avoid being injured.

Why Motorists May Need Help From an Austin 18-Wheeler Accident Attorney

Even if you do everything you can to protect yourself from a serious Sedona big rig accident, you may still be involved in and injured in a collision, and you will need help from a skilled Austin  truck crash injury attorney. At Reynaldo Diaz, Jr, P.C. we help injury victims in big rig collisions get fair compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, car repairs, lost income and other damages by proving negligence on the part of the driver or trucking company. If a truck driver has injured you in a collision, contact us today.