When you are on the road for most of the day for days on end it raises the risk of getting into an accident considerably. As a profession, driving trucks is up there on the list of the most dangerous jobs. Accidents are common and truck drivers face serious injury when they do, not to mention hiring a truck accident lawyer.
The best thing to do is to avoid getting into an accident in the first place. Even if the accident isn’t the fault of the truck driver, it is his or her responsibility to find a way to avoid the accident. Even creating conditions in which an accident is less likely to happen is up to the truck driver and is good for everybody on the road.
In this article, we will go over what it takes to be a better truck driver and avoid some of the most common truck accidents.
1 – Don’t drive distracted
Many people don’t realize that driving while texting is just about as bad as drunk driving. Although very few truck drivers would consider drinking and then getting behind the wheel of their big rig, they don’t hesitate much to text and drive.
This is dangerous for anybody to do while driving but when the vehicle is many, many tons of steel then it takes on extra importance. Taking your eyes off of the road for up to 7 or 8 seconds is enough to plow through a few cars ahead of you before you even realize it.
This doesn’t just include texting and driving. You could be eating or drinking a coffee and with your hands occupied are unable to avoid an accident. Suppose somebody were to swerve in front of your truck. Having a sandwich in your hands is going to delay your precious time that is needed to avoid an accident.
2 – Plan your route well
Most of the time when you are hauling a load, you will be going over roads you are very familiar with. Many loads take the same routes and there are few surprises there.
However, there are times when the conditions are not going to be what you expect even on those familiar routes. The issues could be traffic related due to an accident or construction. Or, there may be some weather conditions on that tract of road that would be dangerous to drive through. Always check online to see what is happening.
This is especially important when you are going to be traveling along a road that you have never driven on before. Check online to see what the road is like and any potential dangerous factors present.
3 – Ask for help by a spotter
A spot where many accidents happen is by the dock. Whether you are loading or unloading, if you are in an unfamiliar loading area then this could pose some problems. Ask for a spotter to give you some help so you aren’t trying to do this alone.
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