No-zone Truck Accidents

Posted by Daniel on Feb 8, 2016 in Motor Accidents | 0 comments

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:

• Front area, where smaller vehicle can be rear-ended or crashed by a truck if ever its driver makes a suddenly slows down or makes an emergency stop. Cars slowing down right after overtaking a truck is actually one of the things truck drivers badly hate;
• Rear area, where smaller vehicles tailgate a truck. Tailgating is not just really dangerous and a major traffic safety issue, it is also legally prohibited in all states; and,
• Right or passenger side of a truck, where a truck driver can totally fail to notice smaller vehicles. If a truck makes a right turn, the vehicle to its right can also easily be crushed.

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.