Understanding Truck Blind Spots To Avoid A New Haven Commercial Vehicle Accident

The Interstates that pass through New Haven are often loaded with giant 18-wheel vehicles that can cause serious congestion and also put you, as the driver of a passenger vehicle at risk of being involved in a New Haven commercial vehicle accident. These accidents can be much more severe then a typical accident because they involve these larger vehicles and when they are interacting with smaller vehicles there can be some serious injuries and property damages that occur. When these types of accidents happen they can also be quite complex and require a lot of investigating to figure out what exactly went wrong.

There are a tremendous amount of state and federal regulations that drivers of these vehicles must abide by to be able to transport their goods on these public roads. This is to the benefit of all of us for our safety. Things like the amount of time a truck driver can drive without stopping to sleep are highly regulated. There are also significant regulations that revolve around the maintenance of these vehicles which, when followed, can keep the vehicle in tip top shape and help to avoid accidents that are preventable through common maintenance of the vehicles. The list of regulations is too long to go through here, but suffice it to say, these vehicles have significantly more regulations then you, as a passenger vehicle driver, have.

No amount of regulation can account for all situations that might occur when you are sharing the road with these vehicles. It is incumbent upon you to have an understanding of how to drive safely when you are side-by-side with these giant commercial vehicles. In some parts of the country, this type of education may not be necessary, but given the thoroughfare that is our city, it is important that you are aware of how to share the road with these vehicles to make sure you are keeping yourself and any passengers that you are driving with safe.

One of the key elements to know when sharing the road with commercial vehicles is that they have significant blind spots that can really affect the drivers ability to see you and react to your actions as you drive. Therefore, it is important that you know where these blind spots are and how to navigate around them so you don’t find yourself stuck in one while driving next to or around these vehicles. Once you know the blind spots you will be able to navigate your road ahead safely even when you are sharing it with these big trucks.

Blinds spots exists for all commercial vehicles and even some smaller trucks and you should know where they are and avoid them at all costs. Some blind spots you should know about include;

1.) The Front No-Zone. If you are driving in front of a truck and you can’t see the trucks mirrors you are in the no-zone at the front of the truck. This means that the driver will not be able to see you so if you step on the brakes, you very well may end up being rear-ended and putting yourself at grave risk. You can rely on making sure you can see the mirrors of the truck that is behind you or you can use the general rule of 20 feet of distance between you and the truck.

2.) The Side No-Zone. It can be tempting to pass a truck for a variety of reasons, but unless you have a clear path to do that, you should avoid it. You do not want to get stuck driving alongside a truck on the left or the right of the vehicle. If you do get stuck you could find yourself in a blind spot where you will not be seen and you could be putting yourself in grave danger. In this situation, if you cannot see the drivers face in the mirror you are not safe.

3.) Avoid tailgating. While this is important no matter what type of vehicle you are sharing the road with, it is critical when you are sharing the road with a large commercial vehicle. Tailgating in this case would be anything inside of 30 feet behind the vehicle. These types of vehicles take a significant amount of time to come to a stop and it may be too late for you if you are following too closely.

Sharing the road with a commercial vehicle is unavoidable in our area. These vehicles use the Interstates that go through the Elm City as their connection to the southern and western parts of the United States. Given that fact, it is important that we all have an understanding of the ways to keep ourselves safe when sharing the road with these vehicles. If we know how to share the road with them safely we should be able to prevent the vast majority of New Haven commercial vehicle accidents and prevent the worst case scenarios from happening.

If an accident with a commercial vehicle were to happen it can get quite complicated. You will want to seek the experience and advice of an attorney to help you sort through it. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.