A semi-trucks or an 18-wheeler (also called a big rig or a tractor-trailer) is about 70 feet long and weighs around 80,000 lbs. – this is about 20-30 times the weight of a passenger car. Due to its size and weight, this vehicle can easily crush anything on its path if ever its driver loses control over it and causes an accident.
A semi-truck’s size and weight are not the only features that make it a threat on the road; there is also its total length (combined length of truck and freight trailer), which is a cause for its driver to fail to notice a smaller vehicle that may be driving around it. The areas around an 18-wheeler are called “no-zone” or blind spot areas. These areas refer to spots where crashes are most likely to occur because smaller vehicles are not noticeable to the truck driver. These “no-zone” or blind spot areas, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), include:
The occurrence of many serious accidents simply because truck drivers often fail to be reasonably aware of vehicles that enter any of their truck’s “no-zone” or blind spot areas.
One consoling news for victims of truck accidents is their opportunity to seek compensation from the liable party for their damages which include property damage and injuries.