Maryland truck accident lawyers handle various truck accident cases. Since large trucks are involved, these cases often involve severe wounds or even death. Sadly, though, many of these accidents are preventable. People driving near large trucks merely have to take extra precautions. Furthermore, large truckers should also drive carefully.

Whatever the case, large truck accidents are prevalent on Maryland roads. So, if you ever get in a collision, you can recover damages from the fault party. This is because Maryland is a fault-based accident state. Therefore, it’ll be best to hire the best Maryland truck accident lawyers at Pinder Plotkin, LLC. Our experienced attorneys can represent you and ensure you get the maximum compensation.

Why You Should Be Careful When Driving Beside Large Trucks

Indeed, all road users should be careful while driving. The obvious reason is to prevent an auto accident. However, people driving beside large trucks should exercise extra care. This is because a truck collision significantly increases the chances of sustaining devastating injuries. Furthermore, such a truck crash will most likely hurt the other road user more.

Passenger vehicle occupants record the most deaths in large truck crashes. In 2019, about 67% of large truck accident fatalities were cars and other passenger vehicle occupants. Motorcyclists, bicyclists, and other pedestrians made up another 15% of fatalities. Large truck occupants accounted for only 16% of the deaths.

Clearly, truck occupants are least likely to die in a collision. This is because these trucks often weigh 20-30 times more than average cars. In addition, they’re often taller. So, a collision can result in a vehicle under-riding the truck. Finally, the weight of the truck can easily crush a smaller car.

Tips for Driving Safely Near Trucks

The tips below can help you avoid a collision when driving near a large truck.

Avoid Blind Spots

Large trucks have more blind spots than regular vehicles. The truck’s size blocks a large space from the driver’s view. So, it’s harder for truckers to see approaching vehicles. The following areas are part of a large truck’s blind spots:

• 30 feet behind the truck
• 20 feet ahead of the truck
• Two lanes wide on the truck’s right
• One lane wide on the driver’s side

Therefore, it’ll be best always to avoid these large truck blind spots. Furthermore, practice dimming your headlights when approaching trucks. Bright headlights can affect a truck’s mirror. If the driver can’t see, an accident may occur.

Carefully Pass Trucks

Passing large trucks requires significant care. This is because large trucks cannot stop as quickly as other vehicles. Therefore, they need more time to adjust their speed for overtaking vehicles. It’s thus best to always overtake a large truck from the left side.

Approaching from the left is the only way the driver will see you. In addition, it’ll be best to signal the truck before passing. When you finally start passing, maintain a consistent driving speed. Finally, cover enough space before merging back into the lane in front of the truck.

Never Tailgate a Large Truck

If you want to avoid truck crashes, you must always drive safely behind the truck. Tailgating a small vehicle may only lead to minor rear-end collisions. However, this isn’t the case with a large truck. This is because a large truck driver cannot see a small vehicle behind it. So, suppose the truck suddenly stops, and you cannot brake early. Here, your car may slip under the truck leading to a catastrophic crash.

Avoid Distractions 

Distracted driving is a significant cause of auto accidents. Distractions reduce your driving focus. So, you have less time to react to emergencies on the road. However, driving beside a truck requires that you stay vigilant. A sudden swerve by a large truck is sufficient to cause a fatal collision.

But, if you are distracted, you’ll be unable to steer your vehicle away in time. Moreover, avoiding these distractions can increase your safety:

• Eating while driving
• Texting
• Receiving or returning phone calls
• Conversing seriously with other car occupants
• Fiddling with GPS or other electronic gadgets
• Adjusting your vehicle’s features

Maryland Truck Accident Lawyers Want to Help You!

Have you survived a Maryland truck crash? Do you think that you aren’t responsible for the collision? If you answer both questions in the affirmative, you can recover compensation for your injuries. In addition, suppose you lost any personal property. Then, you can also recover damages.

First, however, you’ll need to hire Maryland truck accident lawyers. At Pinder Plotkin, LLC, we have decades of experience in handling truck accident claims. We’ve also won millions of damages for our clients. This can be your story too. So, call us today for a FREE consultation.