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Look for big rig safety measures on the highway

On Behalf of | Nov 22, 2019 | Car Accidents |

Driving in Georgia when the roads are wet and slippery is challenging when sharing the lane with passenger vehicles. When big trucks are also passing through, it calls for different techniques. At the Law Office of Perry Dean Ellis, P.C., we often represent clients injured in a crash with 18-wheelers.

According to Smart Trucking, professional truckers also use preventative safety skills when the weather and road conditions are poor. The cars and pickup trucks around them may not recognize them as safety techniques as they may differ from those used by passenger vehicles. Drivers who understand the following safety measures when they see them can respond accordingly and help reduce the chance of a collision.

While you may reduce your speed a little when the roads are wet, semi-trucks slow down significantly. Their size and weight, especially when loaded, means it takes much longer to stop normally. If the roads are wet, they may need much more time and space to stop safely, so their speed is often far below the posted limit.

Big trucks may leave 10 seconds or more between them and the vehicle in front of them. This gives them time to respond to quick stops or cars that fishtail on the slick pavement. If a car passes and then gets into the lane in front of them, they may slow down more to leave more of a buffer between them.

Traffic often seems to move in packs on the highway. Tractor-trailer trucks try to keep a safe distance from the pack, maximizing the distance between them and other vehicles on the road. This is for their safety as well as yours.

When the road conditions are messy, and visibility is poor, it is reckless for drivers of big trucks to behave the same way they do on dry roads. If you sustain injuries as the result of a negligent driver, you may have grounds for a claim. Visit our webpage for more information on this topic.

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