We will again address the trucking industry one more time before we turn our attention to other matters in blogs to follow. As in previous blogs we will examine accident statistics related to the trucking industry utilizing the same website from the previous two blogs.
According to our source "estimates of 41,000 to 45,000 traffic deaths occur every year within the U.S. Approximately 9% of those deaths involve commercial vehicles. More than 80% of those accidents are the fault of the non-commercial driver and of those deaths related accidents only 4% of trucks are fatigue related.
Drinking while intoxicated accounted for .06% of those accidents. Motor vehicle accident crashes cost society an estimated $4,900 per second. That's about $30,000 in the time it took to read that fact".
I'm sure it would not take much to convince the reader that there can be fewer things more devastating than getting in an accident with a semi truck and as I have cautioned many times in this blog - the best way to avoid it is to drive defensively. So let us review safety tips for driving around semi trucks.
First, don't tailgate or in any way drive aggressively around a semi truck. In any 'showdown' between a semi and an automobile - hands down the semi wins.
Second, use the tools at your fingertips to inform a semi truck driver of your intentions. That includes the horn, turn signals and your bright lights.
Third, and this is my favorite saying - you'll see it often in this blog - give semi trucks wide berth on the road. What do I mean by that? Simply this, give them a lot of room to maneuver - fall back a safe distance and don't linger beside them on the highway.
Greg Baumgartner is a Texas commercial vehicle accident lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping victims of commercial vehicle accidents seek civil justice. To speak with a Texas commercial vehicle accident attorney call the Baumgartner firm.
